Teen Spirit
by Intricate Fox
Summary: After interrupting Loki during an experiment, all of the Avengers, and the trickster god himself, are reverted back into sixteen year olds. Fury, jumping on the opportunity, much to Black Widow's chagrin, places them on a mission; One that takes place in a High School. Natasha/Loki. Blackfrost.
1. Turn Back Time

**Disclaimer: Marvel Universe, I only own my ideas.  
**

* * *

"You want to tell me how the hell this happened?"

Fury stood in front of all of them staring them down.  
Agent Hill held a bemused look, and they could see other SHIELD members sniggering from behind their screens and desks. Natasha frowned indignantly at them.  
This was no laughing matter; this was a matter of complete and utter urgency and importance.

She felt her long, lank hair fall over her now flatter chest, could feel the overbite in her mouth, as she turned to look at the culprit along with the others.

Loki was tied to a chair looking quite amused with how the situation turned out, and upon being looked at by all the avengers gave a small smile on his now younger face.

"Don't look at me" he said in his smooth voice "If your _superheroes _hadn't interrupted me during an experiment this wouldn't have happened."

He gestured his hand towards them all, some still looking murderous, some like Thor looking quietly ashamed.  
"Right" Fury continued placing a hand on his forehead as if feigning a headache "And what exactly were you experimenting on? Puberty?"

Loki scoffed at the man's joking tone, his now shorter hair falling in front of his eyes as he shook his head

"Age of course" Loki explained as though it were obvious "It was just a mere curiosity I assure you, but one I could not help but test out; the effects of time, and if it could be paused at one point of a cycle. Suffice to say there were a few… ahh…implications when your team, decided to drop in for a visit"

"If we knew what would of happened we wouldn't have attempted it!" Tony Stark shouted at him, Loki simply rolled his eyes "Look at us! We look like the freaking Breakfast Club!"

Tony gestured around at the rest of the group emphatically.

It was true; they had all been changed and formed back into _teenagers._

Thor looked thoroughly younger, his muscles were less defined, and there was an adamant change in height. His hair also hung shorter than his adult counterpart had, just above the shoulders. He still had his good looks, which was fortunate compared to the rest of them.

Tony was shorter then Natasha had ever seen him, almost as short as herself. His hair was frizzy but he still had that young charm about him and a number of imperfections on his skin.

Banner was small and thin and vulnerable looking, quite like Steve who had lost all of his super soldier serum in the change and was reverted back to what he looked like when he was sixteen.

Clint remained silent. Though his features were more youthful, he sported a buzz cut and seemed to be taking the situation in stride.

Loki was not as tall as he used to be, a gods youth must have been blissful compared to a humans. His skin was clear and smooth, and his emerald eyes shone brightly along with his raven black hair was tousled from the man handling he had received back to SHEILD's base.

_And me,_ Natasha thought with an inward groan. She had been careful not to catch her reflection on surfaces. She remembered what she had looked like at this age, and it was not something she had wanted to re-experience; small, flat chested, freckles and long red hair which fell limply to her chest. _I need to change back pronto.  
_  
"I am unfamiliar with that reference Stark" Loki sighed looking thoroughly bored at the proceedings "You have no one to blame but yourselves. Honestly Thor, you should know better than to interrupt me when I'm experimenting, or have you learnt nothing of our years together in Asgard?"

Loki fixed his brother with a small look which made Thor hang his head as though a puppy, being chastised for chewing up a shoe.

Natasha glared at the young trickster, he could not keep the mocking out of his voice

"Change us back!" she growled, the others nodding in agreement "You've made your point, we're _sorry_, now change us back"

"I can't" Loki said narrowing his eyes at her demanding tone

"What do you mean you can't?" Steve said speaking for the first time, he was small and lanky, a far cry from his usual hulking self, there was slight panic in his tone "If word gets out about this, our enemies will be on us quicker than bees to honey!"

"Can't or won't Loki?" Tony asked crossing his arms and looking at the God with narrowed eyes

"I mean, I'm pretty sure I still have asthma!" Steve continued taking in a deep breath and looking around wide eyed at everyone else "A _wheeze_. Did anybody else hear a wheeze?"

"Pretty sure my tonsils are back" Banner said feeling his throat slightly bewildered "It would seem we've all been turned into an exact replica of what we were at the age of sixteen"

Loki cleared his throat making them all spin around and glare at him, he fixed them with a small amused smile his eyebrow raised at their states

"I can't change you back" he stated, blowing a strand of dark hair out of his face as he did so "I was simply experimenting and haven't a clue how it turned out well, this way."

A number of them groaned loudly, including Fury who had sat down sometime during these exchanges

"Contrary to popular belief, I don't exactly like looking like this as well" Loki explained through a sigh, flicking his fingers as if shooing away a fly "I have no intention of staying in this form"

"Can you fix this?" Fury asked "With the right materials and resources?"

Loki snorted "Hardly, but I wouldn't worry, if my calculations are correct the spell should wear off in a matter of time"

There was a sigh of relief exhaled from all members of the Avengers

Fury however remained sceptical "How long?"

"Days, weeks, maybe months" the trickster said wearily, looking up at the ceiling "at this point it's unclear as to when. Magic can be, unpredictable"

"Months?" Natasha almost shrieked, pulling at her hair "I can't look like this for months! I'm going on a mission in Prague next week!"

She felt Clint pet her back consolingly, Fury shook his head slowly

"We'll need someone else to take your place, seeing as your incapacitated"

"Taking my place?" her eyes grew wide, nobody had ever taken her place, she was the top agent around here. "No, no, no! I'm still lithe, I'm still a spy, I haven't lost my training!"

"Pepper isn't going to sleep with me like this" Tony muttered to Bruce who gave a small smile

Fury sighed "Sorry Romanov, but you really aren't suited at the moment for the job, being undercover will be a lot harder when you look like Anne of Green Gables"

Natasha almost stamped her foot like a child in fury, she looked at Clint who gave her a small sympathetic smile.

"So what?" Tony asked Fury who looked away from Natasha who was still fuming "Now that we're teeny boppers, what do we do now? Sit around the mansion all day eating pizza and watching movies?"

"I was under the impression that's what you always do" Fury retorted raising an eyebrow "In fact I think there's a mission that might just be down your alley, looking, well, how you look"

Agent Hill moved away, before returning shortly with a thin file and passing it over to Fury who placed it in front of him on the table.

"I was going to send in an undercover spy, just to scope out a couple of disappearances, but this may be a better option" he explained rifling through the papers "A number of girls, in adolescence have gone missing, I want you to find out where they are going, and what is happening to them. This mission will also saves me from having to explain to other authorities why the Avengers are suddenly a group of sixteen year old brats."

Natasha frowned, hoping with all her heart that he wasn't about to suggest what she thought he was getting at. Realisation had started to dawn on a couple of the others' faces.

"And where is this mission taking place?" Thor asked obliviously not catching on "What place would be in need of six adolescent beings?"

Fury gave him a small smile as though thoroughly enjoying himself at their obvious discomfort "Pack your bags kids, you're going back to high school"

There was a silent moment of panic as the words sunk in.

Natasha felt her eyes go unusually wide, and her head was starting to shake in disbelief. She was glad to see she was not alone in this, Tony and Steve looked as if they were going to be sick, Bruce and Clint remained expressionless, Thor and Loki, not to Natasha's surprise, looked oblivious.

"I am unfamiliar with this high school" Thor said slowly

"Lucky you" Steve muttered "Asgard must be a swell place if it didn't even have school there"

Loki frowned, and it was then Natasha realised that he had managed to get out of the ropes tied around him, and sat quite comfortably in the chair  
"Thor and I were princes of Asgard. We were tutored separately in the palace"

"Home schooled, gotcha" Tony said with a smirk "Yeah I had that after I was expelled from my fifth school. _Good times_. I need a drink"

Fury gave a bark of laughter "You're underage now Stark, the only thing you'll be drinking is water from corridor water fountains."

Tony's face fell at this "No alcohol? Are you mad?"

Fury ignored him turning on Loki who looked up quite amused, placing his hands up in surrender "I'm calling temporary truce, I'm sure you would benefit from my expertise at this school of High, and frankly I'm curious to see what you pathetic mortals call an education." Loki stated looking pointedly at the Avengers "As soon as the spell wears off we can go back to our sparring ways none the wiser"

"Fine Loki" Fury growled at the dark haired teenager who smirked up at him "Just make sure you don't kill a gym coach or something"

Loki nodded innocently, placing a hand on his chest as if he had been offended "I promise"

Thor beamed at his brother, who did not return it and Natasha groaned loudly, face planting on the table in front of her.

There was no use arguing, she would have to get used to the idea of returning to the dreaded mash that was high school.

* * *

**A/N: I wanted to do this story for fun, and there is an actual plot going to be formed, but its more drabble then anything. **  
**Reviews are motivation ;)**


	2. New Kids

**Disclaimer: We live in a Marvel-ous world.**

* * *

Natasha pulled at the hem of her blue plaid skirt, the stiff collar of the white blouse making her neck itch uncomfortably. Finished off with the grey woollen vest and striped red and blue tie, she looked like the embodiment of a Catholic school girl, and _not_the sexy kind.

It was unflattering to say the least, as she pulled her long red hair into a pony tail, taking note of how much the colour clashed with the ones on the uniform.

She swore loudly.

The uniforms had arrived yesterday in record time just so all of them may join the new semester without being pointed suspiciously at.  
They all got undercover names, nothing to different from their own ones; even though Tony pointed out he had always wanted to be called Megatron, you know, _just for kicks_.

And so Natasha Romanov (now Natalie Rushman) stood staring up at the looming gates of this posh private school where she was doomed to stay until returning into her more pleasing adult form. The others stood around her also glaring up at the gates, excluding Loki whom insisted on making his own way to the school much to Thor's disappointment.

Perhaps he wanted to skip in with his younger brother as though it were there first day of school. If this was the case, Loki was smarter then she thought.

They stood watching other students piling into the school; they shot the _new kids_glances, but seemed unaware of their true identities. Natasha noticed most of the girl's skirts had been hemmed up way above the knee, not wearing their ties so that they may present a shocking amount of skin from their unbuttoned blouses.

"Look at them" Tony hissed under his breath "They're like vultures looking for fresh meat"

Steve shot him a look that quietly said he wished Tony would do the favour of keeping his ungodly mouth shut. Clint and Bruce were silent, as though they really couldn't care less about anyone else, Thor however looked up at the school wide eyed a small bemused smile lining his face.

"This would be a great venture into what you Midgardians call school" he exclaimed in a loud voice making students stop and stare as they passed, eyes narrowed. Tony hit Thor in the stomach, instantly regretting it as he held his hand gingerly to himself

"OUCH, Jesus Thor, you made of rock or something?" Tony growled shaking his hand "Keep your voice down on the whole _Midgard _thing, people will suspect. Fury's not going to like it if we're found out on the first day!"

"Sorry friend" Thor mused, though he did not seem at all apologetic "I am just quite intrigued by ways of passage into adulthood. In Asgard we would have to win in the field of battle, manage to hunt down a wild bilgesnipe, or sometimes…"

A loud sound interrupted him, the sound of an engine in the distance, coming closer. They turned along with a number of passing students to watch the motorcycle screeching down the road and parking (_illegally _Natasha noted) in front of the school gates.

The figure on the vehicle removed his helmet shaking his raven dark hair off his face as he peered up with his emerald green eyes at the school with a bored demeanour.

Natasha heard a group of passing girls gasp, and wouldn't have been surprised if they fainted with all the teenage angst they were facing at present time; one was near swooning.

Loki dismounted from the motorcycle easily once placing it on lock, and walked towards them impressively. He looked well, flawless, with his blue blazer, tie and grey pants, along with his satchel bag moving against his hip.

"What the…" Tony muttered enviously watching the teenage trickster head towards them

"Brother!" Thor called moving forward, Loki gave him a small smile, placing up a hand to stop Thor from getting any closer

"Theo, its Luke here" Loki chastised him quietly, the blonde haired god pouting slightly at his brother's tone.

"These mortal names are confusing" Thor complained spinning around to look at the others beside his brother, who continued to gaze up at the building in distaste

"Theo they're necessary" Natasha said exhaling loudly before looking at Loki disapprovingly as a gaggle of girls went past staring at him and giggling, he gave them a small smile which near had them falling over each other "You know, one thing about being undercover is to not draw attention to yourself"

"Ahh _Natalie_" Loki replied, practically purring her cover name as he fixed her with his green eyes, the mischievous smile still placed upon his face "What is it you mortals say? The grass is always greener on the other side? Or something along those lines anyway…"

Natasha opened her mouth with a ready comeback, but the bell was already sounding, telling them that it was time for roll call.

She shut her mouth as Loki strode past her flashing a grin, Thor in tow as he did so.

The others all looked pale, except for Clint who gave her a small smile before placing a hand on her back and forcing her into the school.

* * *

They reported to the Principal's office which was round and large with a desk sitting just in front of a window. A small man stood up as the entered, a grin lining his features as he filled them in on class schedules and rules.

His eyes lingered for a moment longer on Loki who was preoccupied with looking at his carefully looked after nails, before taking his own roster from the balding Principal.

As far as Natasha believed the man had no idea that they were the Avengers and thought they were simply exchange students under a witness protection program. He assured them quietly that they were quite safe here in the school boundaries.

Natasha remained tight lipped, silently surprised that the man was lying to them about their safety, after all they _were_on a mission trying to find missing students.

He each assigned them a buddy who would show them around. Natasha got stuck with a girl who seemed more interested in Loki and Thor rather then her designated student. The Asgardian God's were both partnered with a small boy who looked rather intimidated by there rather tall figures.

"Who are they?" the girl had asked, Natasha learning her name was Kristin and self-proclaimed goddess of this school. She was immediately reminded of the kinds of girls she went to school with and grimaced at the way Kristin would toss her silvery blonde hair back every time she thought she was being watched.

Natasha looked to where the annoying girl was aiming her slightly sickening, sultry gaze.

"Theo and Luke" she answered hesitantly as the boys in question started to walk away down the locker filled corridor.

The blonde mouthed their names as though categorising them into some unknown data base of guys in her head.

Yeah, Natasha hated this girl.

* * *

Science was first period, and she hated the way she was made to stand in front of the class like a test subject as the teacher introduced her, silently praying that they would not force her to speak.

She felt the students studying her like a piece of meat, and shivered involuntarily. They were scoping out who belonged and who didn't, and as Natasha sat down next to Bruce at a table whose text book was already splayed in front of him ready for the lesson, it was obvious what section they went in.

Not that it bothered her. She had already attended school, what did it matter if this new generation accepted her or not? Besides she had the rest of the Avengers to hang around with when bored.

_That's right_; she thought haughtily glancing around with narrowed eyes at the other students who were either texting underneath the tables or staring transparently into space.

She's saved all of their asses more than once _and_ is the only female in the Avengers initiative.  
Just because she didn't look like herself right now, doesn't mean _some _of these hormone crazy teenagers didn't have a pin up of her in their rooms.

_Shit, why would you think of that? _She thought angrily, her mind flooded with sickening images as she placed her head on the desk, the teacher droning on and Bruce's pen scratching on paper, already working out all the equations.

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**A/N: Wowza! 9 reviews for the first chapter! Naww shucks...**  
**I am genuinely surprised at the response for this story, and will try to maintain a steady flow of updates.**


	3. Romeo, O Romeo

**Disclaimer: Marel Universe.**

* * *

Tony was petting a very pale Steve on the back as he inhaled from his puffer looking as though he may puke all over the white cafeteria tables.

"What's wrong now?" Natasha sighed, sitting down with her tray in one of the chairs at their claimed table. She was sceptical at first about cafeteria food, but was surprised to find this one actually had a decent spread, probably because it was a private school.

Steve looked up at her and frowned "Gym next"

"Oh" she replied nodding slowly "Maybe you can get Fury to write you a note"

Tony laughed at this pointing a fork with a pasta shell on the end at her "Yes that will be a joy, _Dear Gym Coach, my son Steve isn't stable enough to play dodge ball, Yours sincerely, Nick Fury._I'll have it laminated and read from it every Christmas!"

Steve managed to give him quite the dirty "I hate you"

"No you don't" he sang still waving the pasta shell in Natasha's face until she slapped it out of his hand and landed on the table Kristin and her gaggle of friends seemed to be seated at.  
They all screamed and jumped on their chairs as if a mouse had entered the premises, then as they all realised what it was, glared over at the Avengers table, Tony pointing innocently at Natasha who fixed him with her own dirty stare.  
She gave the blonde an apologetic smile which she returned with a crude hand gesture.

"I hate school" Natasha murmured turning back to her own food and moving her fork uninterestedly around in it

"Spoken like a true American student" Tony said saluting her.

It was silent a few moments before Thor and the rest of the Avengers showed their faces at the table, each sitting down with their own trays, except Loki who simply had an apple in hand.

"Quite interesting Midgardian history is" Thor stated not bothering to use the fork and simply shoving a piece of roast beef in his mouth "All these native civilisations forced into slave labour all around your globe, I had not realised how barbaric some of you can be!"

"Free of freedom…" Loki murmured making them narrow their eyes at him before turning back to Thor

"American History Thor?" Bruce asked to which Thor nodded "Widow and I had senior science, but it was all fairly simple to me"

_That would be because you're a freaking scientist_, Natasha thought gritting her teeth, _Jesus, am I having mood swings or what?_

"Hawk and I had Advanced Mathematics" Tony stated shoving a couple of pasta shells into his mouth, she noticed he had gotten rid of his tie and could spy the AC/DC shirt peeking out from underneath the white collar "Shame about being thrown out of the room"

"You were thrown out of the room?" Steve asked almost choking on his own food "It was first period! What in god's name got you kicked out?"

"Haven't the foggiest"

Clint chuckled at this "Well let's see, it could have been out smarting and arguing with the teacher, or it could have been calling the rest of the class, and I quote, _slow minded bags of pus_"

"Despite these accusations I think I've achieved the reputation I am after" Tony stated proudly before looking at Loki "What about you Rudolph, what did you have on your first stay of mortal high?"

Loki gave him a condescending smirk for the insult "Geography"

"Oh, learning about sand dunes and what have you?"

"Sustainability actually" He answered chewing his apple appreciatively and elaborating "I never realised how _simple_your planet's layout is. It bewilders me not to have attacked water supplies when it is obvious that's what everyone depends on"

The Avengers all looked at each other, slight panic on their faces, except on Thor's who looked at his brother as though pondering his thoughts

"You would not do something so low brother" he stated with a final nod as though that sealed the deal, Loki gave him a measured look before nodding slowly

"You're right" he answered with a sigh, flicking a stray black lock of hair away from his face "The plan lacks finesse"

Natasha felt herself breathe again, anxious to inform Fury that Loki learning more about Earth probably wasn't going to help them in the long run.

* * *

Natasha was seated next to Tony in English Literature; Loki sat in front of them with a shy looking girl, who kept peering at him from underneath her fringe.

Widow mused if the girls blush would remain if she realised she was seated next to a homicidal psycho from out of space. In any case she was glad to see that the trickster was not torturing the poor girl with obvious esteem issues and instead remained focused on the class at hand.

A pretty young woman with honey coloured hair named Ms Masters stood at the front of the class lecturing the students on Shakespeare's Macbeth with adamant interest.

Upon seeing their teacher Tony had commented, not surprisingly, on her name and where he would like to use it. Natasha had jabbed him in the stomach at this comment which left him quite winded and not able to flirt with the obviously attractive woman and cause more problems, despite their actual age.

Natasha spied Kristin and a number of her group at the back of the classroom, all talking behind their whispered hands and chewing gum.

Again that inevitable urge to rip her throat out ran through Natasha's mind, who struggled to shrug it off with a shake of her head. She tried to focus on Ms Masters who had started on soliloquies.

"A soliloquy is a dramatic or literary form of discourse in which a character talks to himself or herself" she explained in a very clear voice to her class, half of them listening, some just staring at her impressive cleavage "Usually revealing one's thoughts without addressing a listener. Now Shakespeare was a master of soliloquies, some of you may recall Juliet's _'Romeo O Romeo'_speech from last semester when studying Romeo and Juliet. That was a soliloquy"

Some students gave murmurs of understanding, but the majority simply remained quiet, staring into space or whispering to one another. Ms Masters frowned at Kristin's group until they stopped their whispering and looked up at her innocently.

"Now" she stated looking at them all with no undivided attention "Flip to page 234 of Macbeth"

Natasha and the rest of the class flipped through their books, a rustle of pages sounding around the room in union until they found the long passage of speech Macbeth was giving.

"This soliloquy takes place as Macbeth contemplates killing Duncan and imagines the dagger in his hand, anyone want to volunteer for reading out loud to the class?"

No one answered, some desperately trying to look away from her gaze which roamed through the students like an x-ray; even Natasha looked out the window desperate not to draw attention to herself. Ms Masters' eyes rested on Loki who simply blinked up at her with his emerald eyes.

"New boy Luke is it?"

Loki nodded innocently "Yes"

"Well Luke, please do us the honour of gracing the class with your reading voice" she said smirking as she sat down and gestured for him to stand up.

He nodded again, taking the book in his hand and standing up gracefully, clearing his throat slightly as all attention was placed on him before beginning to speak.

_"__Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee." _He spoke placing his hand before him, everyone following his movement mesmerised _"I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. Art thou not, __fatal__ vision, __sensible__…"_

Natasha was finding herself getting lost in the words as he continued, not tearing her eyes away from him and the way his voice seemed to run through her, daring her not to breathe.

_"Thus to mine eyes. __Now o'er the one halfworld__, __Nature seems dead__, and wicked dreams abuse,The __curtain'd__ sleep;_ _witchcraft celebrates"  
_  
How was it he spoke so smoothly, as though soothing her soul, and making her mind cloud, this was Loki, he has killed thousands for his own gain, so why was her breath caught in her throat?

_"I go, and it is done; the bell invites me. Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell, That summons thee to heaven or to hell…"_

Silence followed the last sentence, and a small exhales and sighs were heard from around the room.  
Natasha silently pleased that his performance had not affected just her, and looked around to see most of the girls still staring at him with glistening eyes and agape mouths.

Even the teacher was in this state, and managed to slowly blink as though coming back to her senses as he sat back down, some clapping and some still in awe.

"Wow" she heard Kristin breathe from the back of the room, her friends agreeing with her quickly.

"Yes well" Ms Masters said regaining herself and petting her hair reflexively as Loki gazed out the window "That was, well, impressive. So as I was, ahh, saying, a synonym, I mean soliloquy has the…"

Tony frowned openly next to Natasha as the woman drones on before whispering "Is it just _me_, or is anyone else slightly attracted to Loki right now?"

Natasha remained speechless.

All she knew was that Loki,_ God of Mischief and Lies, _could beat Leonardo Dicaprio to the ground any day.

* * *

**A:N/ Gaah! Reviews! Gaaah! Death Threat! Someone called me a genius!**  
**And also, I'm Australian so I have no idea how American schools run so I'm basically just doing whatever.**  
** I graduated high school like two years ago, and its not as bad as I'm making it out to be. Except for like yr 7 - 8, I hated those years with a passion. **  
**To each their own!**  
**Keep the responses coming ;)**  
**And I may update sooner then can be expected.**  
**:waves hands in front of face:**


	4. Warning Signs

A week passed in the perfectly droll nature of school life Natasha had already experienced and expected.

So far she had already made her enemies in the form of Kristin and her pack of hyenas.  
She did not try to make friends, why would she bother when she would be reverted back to her normal state in what she hoped was sooner then could be expected.

Tony Stark actually impressed her for once; He had at least kept his blatant mouth shut from making too many enemies. Not to say he didn't have a few that would like to see him thrown in the deep end of the pool, some teachers and the janitor included.

Steve was having a hard time, always trying to take on the bullies while Banner stood unhelpfully to his side. She thought, perhaps, he was used to this mantra of _thought_, as if he had some safety sequence to keep himself calm and not release the other guy.  
Not that he would, seeing as Banner as a teenager was not yet infected with the poison his adult self had stuffed into his own veins.

If she weren't under strict orders from Fury she would have all of the offenders hanging from their panties from the locker room.

Clint was surviving easily, some of the guys in his classes warming up to his joking and friendly nature, even asked to join them for pizza after. He declined with a small glance at Natasha who could not help but keep the sour look off her face. Clint knew how much she hated the fact he could just get along so well with somebody without lifting a finger, but they were still best friends and watched each other's back.

Thor, muscle bound and blonde was the heart throb among many of the girls, he was the sort of guy Natasha had went to school with, at least Thor was not arrogant and judge on appearance as they did. He was friendly and treated everyone with the same reverence, greeting them all loudly each time he strode into class.

So this was why it was a complete surprise to Natasha that most of the girl's attentions were focused on the blazer clad, motorcycle driving, Shakespeare reading mess that was Thor's adopted brother.

Times surely had changed from when she was in high school.

_Sensitivity_was the new ovary bomb.

With his green eyes, and dark hair, and charming smile and porcelain…_whoa!_ _No way!_ She was not going to degrade herself to what all the other girls in the school were fawning over! This was the guy who _killed_ thousands! _Destroyed_ half of New York! Called her a _quim_!

_Ye_s, she knew what a _quim_ was… _after Googling it.  
_  
He's tried to kill them _countless_times!

She shook her head, clearing thoughts of the handsome figure that strode toward her now, carrying his signature smirk and twinkling eyes and _God! What was wrong with her?_

"Natalie" he purred leaning against the adjacent locker as she took her books out, keeping her hands unnaturally steady as she did so "Why do you seem so unhappy to see me? I assure you I haven't spilt any young virgins blood as of yet if that's what you're worried about…"

"No" Natasha snapped quickly grimacing "And gross, you're like what? A thousand years old…"

"Give or take" he smirked back "What does it matter?"

"It's a shame they don't teach morality here"

"I know" Loki cooed in mock disappointment and raising a hand to his mouth "Now I'll never know whether to help an elderly woman across the street or just hit her from behind and steal her purse"

"You really are a bastard aren't you?"

"Now I know of someone who needs a lesson in manners…"

Natasha supressed the growl rising in her throat as she slammed her locker door with a flourish, moving away as quickly as she could

"It really gets to you doesn't it?" Loki asked making her spin around to face him. He cast her a knowing look which made her skin crawl "Being this way"

"I have no idea what you're talking about" she snapped moving a red strand of escaped hair behind her ear, her face was red with what she wanted to assume as rage, _quick change the subject!_"Also, you can't keep riding that motorbike, you don't even have a licence, and you park illegally. I'm reporting it to Fury"

Loki frowned "It's _my_bike"

"Which you probably stole"

"Well, _yes_. What does it matter as long as I know how to control it?"

"Because there are rules" she huffed trying to come off as dominant but only ending up as sounding overly snobby "You can't just do what you want!"

"It's what I'm good at."

"Really? Is that why you're still not supreme leader of the world?"

Loki glared at her for this comment, and straightened his relaxing pose making her realise just how taller he was to her. She just met his wide shoulders, which were probably really strong and…_stop it.  
_  
"Well" Loki sniffed, and she could see his older self in his eyes, the green ones seeming to turn a shade darker "I think I'll sit by myself at lunch today. Don't want my lack of _morality_to get in the way of your Joes of slop"

"Fine" Natasha snapped back at him, but he was already moving away, his satchel slapping satisfyingly against his hip as she watched his movements, and the way those pants seemed to…._damn it!  
_  
Her flustered and angry expression last all the way of first period science. Bruce did not enquire, though she was sure he felt the heat radiating off her.

_Hormones,_ she thought to herself clenching her palms until her fingernails left crescents in her skin, _school girl fantasies, this is just a phase! It had to be!_

From now on, she would keep her distance from Loki at all times.

This was made easier when exiting one of the girl's cubicles in the student bathrooms and coming almost face to face with Kristin's extremely perfect nose. Her hyenas flanked her sides like extremely overgrown tumours.

"Ahh, hi?" Natasha commented dodging them as she moved to the sinks, trying to keep her eyes off the reflection in the mirror, which she knew would show the blonde haired circus tracking her every move.

Kristin was the first to speak "What is your relation to Luke Johnson?"

The Widow started at the question, before grabbing paper towels to wipe her hands

"Umm, nothing?" She answered hesitantly as though unsure of their reactions to each option she could supply  
"We saw him talking to you in the corridor this morning"

"That's usually what people do, you know,_ talk_"

"He's talked more to you then he has anyone else"

"How unfortunate"

"Listen _Nina_"

"Natalie"

"Whatever" Kristin snapped with a flick of her hair before fixing Widow with what she could only assume to be what a look of death would look like if it were encased in mascara and pink eye shadow "_He's out of your league_"

Natasha paused at this, and could not help but scoff at the dense girl "What makes you think he's in yours?"

Kristin frowned at her with intense dislike, her hip jutting out as she placed a hand on it "Just stay away from Luke alright? Or I will make sure you live to regret it"

Natasha could feel herself trying to keep her hand from finding her way to the girls over rouged cheek and instead gritted her teeth and nodded obediently. She shouldn't cause trouble, she was the sensible one.  
When the Avengers had a fight or argument, she was the deal breaker, keeping everything calm before Bruce could Hulk out, or Thor smashed another television.  
She could do this right?

"Fine" Natasha said, starting to hate her use of the word. _Nothing was 'fine' here_.

She was trapped in a sixteen year olds body, gangly and awkward, when she should be out knocking bad guys on their asses in Prague.

A new stirring of hatred towards Loki bubbled up inside her, _how could she ever find him attractive when she was stuck in this mess because of him?_

To make their warning clearer, Kristin and the rest of the Gossip Girl cast, dunked her with a bucket of dirty mop water before running out giggling and laughing from the bathroom. Natasha stood there, drenched in her stiff school uniform, hair matting and teeth grinding together as the school bell rang for next period.

* * *

**N/A: SIGH, I love reviews. They make me feel all tingly inside...**  
**Anyway, some more Natasha and Loki interaction this chapter, but not so much in what I believe to be the next. I especially like the Joes of Slop part. **  
**I still have no idea what the hell they are.**


	5. Wilted Lettuce

**Disclaimer: MARVEL and me are _just_ friends, _god!_  
You write a couple of fanfics and then all of a sudden people are saying you're _dating_, or _fornicating_, and _seriously guys_? MARVEL owns all the characters and I just own my ideas. Tell TMZ to back off.**

* * *

Thor scrutinised Natasha from across the cafeteria table, where she scowled at her wilted salad, tossing a lettuce leave with little thought. Clint sat next to her as well, an eyebrow rose at her sullen attitude.

Her hair still bore the signs of where the girls had dumped the water, and she could feel the dampness of the woollen vest, the smell of wet dog filling her senses.

"I do not believe I saw any rain" Thor said softly "Or any known presence of it."

Natasha refused to look at any of them, she popped a cherry tomato in her mouth and bit down letting the juices explode in her mouth before chewing and swallowing. Not even Thor could be fooled by the sad excuse for her damp state.  
"Earth weather" she muttered still not looking at them while she stabbed a chunk of cucumber "It's unpredictable"

"Is there any reason we should be concerned Tasha?" Clint asked beside her "If there's a problem, all you have to do is ask, you know that right?"

She nodded stiffly, presenting him with a swift smile to calm his worries

_No_, what were a bunch of sixteen year old girls with jealousy issues against someone like her? She could take them all out before any one of them could utter a simpering _oh my god_.

The only problem was Natasha, _the _Black Widow_, couldn't_.

Fury was depending on her to find the occurrence of disappearing girls and stop it. She'd be expelled as soon as she even touched one of these private school girls. If they could afford to be here, it obviously meant their parents cared very much for appearances both social and physical.

Stunting a daughter of one such as Kristin, would obviously get her into a load of problems, possibly resulting in expulsion. Fury would be, well, furious if his top spy _and _the one most likely to succeed in finding the perpetrator of recent crimes became useless in the mission.

So no, she wasn't going to touch one hair from Kristin's body.  
She was going to be _invisible, _and stalk like the spy she was to find what she needed and then get out of this hell hole as soon as she could.

And maybe after turning back to her former self she'd pay Kristin a visit.

_Maybe.  
_  
Natasha smirked at the thought of what she would do once she was free of her burden to SHIELD she didn't even realise the new subject of the table, or Thor's question directed at her.

"What?" she said snapping out of her thoughts to be met with all eyes at the table "I'm fine"

"That's not what big guy here was asking" Tony said fixing her with a scrutinising look "Why? What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing" she replied quickly looking away to Thor, while taking a sip of her water bottle "What were you saying Thor?"

Thor had food in his mouth as he spoke again "I was asking if you knew why my brother is not joining us today?"

Natasha almost choked on the small traces of water sliding down her throat, and felt a small creeping sensation rise on her cheeks. She coughed behind her hand trying to remain as though she had no clue why the Prince of Lies was no longer in their presence.

"I don't know" she answered through the coughs, turning back to her salad "Maybe he found some new friends to sit with"

"Loki?" Tony scoffed "Friends with mortals? I sincerely doubt it"

"Why?" Natasha inquired suddenly suspicious, ignoring Tony and looking at Thor with narrowed eyes "Did he say something?

The God of Thunder simply shook his head

"Just that he rather be alone" he answered sadly, as though it pained him to say so "I was hoping perhaps my brother this time round in adolescence would be more social in his efforts with others."

"Again" Tony interrupted "Your brother has a superiority complex."

Thor opened in his mouth in rebuttal but was interrupted by a new voice in the conversation

"Perhaps Loki is realising how much he's been interacting with us of late" Bruce stated this time, all eyes turning to him "Maybe he doesn't want to grow any attachments or emotions so he can return to the way he was before"

Everybody slowly nodded to this, Tony muttering about feeling used, it was a plausible enough reason to let the subject drop.

Bruce Banner's words made the heat return to Natasha's face as she gazed transparently back at the lettuce leaves on her plate.

Somewhere inside her she felt the words spoken by the de-aged Banner, should rightfully belong to her and _not_ the God of Mischief.

* * *

A couple more days passed and still Loki did not join them at their lunch table.

In fact, the only time Natasha ever saw the dark haired god was when he sat in front of her in English Lit.  
She would stare into the back of his head, watching the dark locks shift with every movement he made, trying to find every reason Loki should not be attractive to her.

1. He's a killer

2. He's insane

3. He's evil

4. His hair isn't even _that _shiny

Once or twice she had to mentally slap herself as she went through the list and the lame ass excuses.  
There were however a number of reasons Loki's new distance worked out in her favour. At least Kristin and her pack were no longer on her back, watching her every move.

And so Black Widow could get back to the mission at hand.  
This however was increasingly problematic, as there had been no more disappearances in the last month, and so nowhere to start but with what was already known.

Four, seemingly normal and _pretty _(Natasha had noted when looking at their portfolio's) girls had disappeared, each a month a part and yet around the same time.

_Ritual sacrifices? _Natasha mused sidestepping a bunch of burly guys as she made her way across the courtyard.

There _were _a lot of weirdo's around these days, and it's not as if she hadn't come across a couple of satanic worshipers in her time. It wasn't improbable.

Out of the corner of her eye she spotted the blazer clad figure that was Loki, sitting quite blissfully underneath a large oak tree, his tie loosened, the breeze ruffling his dark hair, and _damn_ him, he was reading _a book_.

_Stoic_ was the word Natasha found her tongue trying to curl around, as her gaze settled on him. _A lone figure, dark, poetic, sensitive, rebellious, wayward…_

Bad boy

Natasha bit her lip hard as she wrenched her eyes away and continued across the courtyard into class.

_No, no, no. How obviously cliché of her?_ She snorted with a shake of her head, _falling for the bad boy like some love sick virgin._

She had had her fill of rebellious boys and men in her time, many she had the skills to wrap around her little finger and play with them until they broke into pitiful piles of misery, _begging _her to take them back.

This was just her nature, she realised with a smile.

She sees someone who believes they're superior and she wishes to tame them.  
This whole infatuation with Loki obviously had to be the fact that she craved to be dominant and show that no man, let alone a god, could change her into a weak and spineless girl that many believed she was.

She had shown them.

She was no longer the girl from Russia with big dreams and high hopes, stamped on one to many the occasion by people who thought her inferior.

_She is Black Widow.  
_  
And she _is _strong and desirable.

Natasha raised her chin with new found charisma running through her veins, before unceremoniously tripping over her own feet and sprawling onto the corridor floor.

_Shit.  
_  
She heard sniggers and laughter break out around her as she pulled herself up from the ground indignantly, gathering her fallen books with haste as she did so and trying to remain as poised as she could muster.

A large hand grabbed onto her shoulder and she spun around to meet Thor's bright blue eyes with her own.

"Are you alright, Natash….Natalie?" He asked in his strong voice as the other students turned back to what they were doing, all she had been was a mere form of a distraction "You are not hurt I hope?"

"No" she snapped rather harshly at his protective tone before warming her voice and adding rather sheepishly "But thanks for asking"

"That was quite a fall"

"I was just distracted"

"May I ask with what?"

"Just the usual stuff, you know, homework, split ends, our mission" She shrugged casually not emphasizing the difference "Normal high school girl stuff"

"Oh" Thor replied as they walked side by side down the hallway "Is it very different for a female here?"

"It is if you're me" she answered lightly, but shooed away his worried look with a small sincere smile "I take it you're enjoying the life of an American student?"

His face instantly brightened at the question "Very! I do enjoy Midgardian games of sport! The game master even suggested I try out for competitive basketball, says he believes I would be worthy of a place on his team."

Natasha forced a bright smile on her face "That's great Thor, you should go ahead and join!"

"You believe so?" the blonde god inquired "Then I shall do so, and lead this school to victory!"

He raised his hand in the air as if he had Mjolnir with him, some students passing raising their eyebrows inquisitively at the gesture before he brought his fist back down to his side, the cheery smile remaining on his face as Natasha laughed lightly.

"Excuse me?" a new voice asked, making both Thor and Widow spin around to set their eyes on the subject who spoke. A very pretty but small girl stood, fluffy brown hair in a bob and an innocent air, as she looked up at Thor with her large brown eyes.

Natasha cringed at the light pink bow in her hair which was matched with a silk scarf the girl had draped over her uniform.

Her backpack was shaped like a _bear_.

This girl was sixteen and acted as if she were eight.

"Yes?" Thor asked as if to a child, whom Natasha thought, he probably deducted from the small girl, who was currently twisting a hand of hair on her finger absently. _God, add a lollipop why don't you?  
_  
"Are you Theo Johnson?" The girl asked her voice sickly sweet

"I am"

"Oh good!" The girl exclaimed "Then you're _Luke's _brother"

Natasha turned away from both of them as she slammed her head against the locker behind her.

_Why! Why did everything have to revolve around him?  
_  
Thor and the girl did not even notice her movements as they continued to communicate, Natasha banging her head against the locker a couple more times before spinning around and listening to the conversation at hand.

"That's so weird!" The girl continued her hair bobbing around her as she gave a girlish laugh making Natasha want to vomit a little "You guys look nothing alike!" Thor's expression darkened a little but the girl remained oblivious as she rattled on "He's so _cool,_ like _amazing_, so I was wondering if you could, _you know_, just like kinda tell me what he's into?"

Natasha would have seriously been surprised if Thor even got the gist of what this girl was asking, instead he stared at her as if there were something wrong with her mentally

"Pardon?" he asked leaning down as if he had misheard her

She gave a tinkling laugh before repeating "Luke, your brother, what's he interested in? Like, help a girl out?"

"Interested in?" Thor repeated dully

"Hobbies?" the girl said looking at Thor as if there were something wrong with him now "Like, what he likes to do in his spare time?"

"Oh" Thor said finally catching on, Natasha itching to head bang the locker a couple more times "My brother likes snakes"

_"Snakes?" _Natasha and the girl repeated in union, though in different tones, as they stared at Thor who nodded looking thoughtful

"Yes, snakes and mischief" he continued genuinely pleased with himself as he smiled at the girl brightly "I hope that has helped"

The still unnamed girl nodded slowly, her expression currently thoughtful "Huh, _snakes and mischief, right_…Thanks!"

Without another thought the girl walked away, pink bow flopping against her head and the teddy bear backpack limbs swaying as she walked away. Natasha stood in disbelief; half believing the girl would show up the next day waving a python around in Loki's face.

"Way to go Thor" she murmured as they continued down the corridor, Thor looking as if nothing in the world was wrong with the previous conversation that just took place "_So Loki likes snakes_?"

* * *

**A/N:** I know, an update, yay!  
I have excuses why I'm late, usually I like to update once a day, but I had training yesterday for my job in the middle of no where. Walked for like two hours and got lost and was late and got home and crashed.  
I still have no idea where I went.  
And then my brother stole the laptop for his school work, and my mum wanted to play farmville, and... you get the gist yes? Yes.  
Please, continue your flattery through reviews and favouring, my _ginormous_ ego needs to be fed regularly or I start tearing shit apart.  
ALSO, thanks so much for all the alerts and followers and reviews!  
You guys have forced me to go back through my notes and just lengthen everything. This was only supposed to be a pretty short story, but with all the alerts and stuff...im gonna milk it for what its worth xD  
TA!


	6. Amateur

**Disclaimer: Marvel owns all these characters and my soul.**

* * *

"I'm dying!" Tony rasped flailing at Steve who looked quite embarrassed to be seated next to the genius billionaire as he yelled. The rest of the Avengers looked at him, eyebrows raised as he continued to fidget like an unkempt child.

"What ails you friend?" Thor asked as they sat in the bleachers, watching his basketball practice, the jersey fitting him snuggly and defining his chest with the number 8 emblazoned on it in red over blue.

He was yet to break a sweat as the rest of his team slumped on to the bleachers panting and gasping, some looking over at Thor in envy as they heaved themselves to the changing rooms.

"Well" Tony exclaimed somewhat sarcastically, waving his hands around in small circles "Here's the problem _Fabio._ While you're running around getting your jollies out dunking balls in hoops and what not, I have been sober for _44 days."_

No one responded and Thor continued to look confused

_"44 days" _Tony repeated in a slight whisper as everyone continued to ignore him, his eyes bulging out slightly at the lack of response.

Natasha inwardly smiled at Stark's displeasure.

He could not be saved from even Pepper who refused to let him drink upon finding his condition and scoured every nook and cranny of the Avengers mansion ridding it of liquor. She seemed to be taking it all rather well, and refused Tony's advances, saying she liked her men older, which made Tony glower for a good three days.

This time could have been shortened if he had been allowed a bottle of beer in hand, but oh the_ irony_.

The former playboy had taken to biting his nails or else murmuring darkly under his breath next to her during English Lit. She rolled her eyes and tried to ignore him as she stared into the back of Loki's head listening half-heartedly to Ms Masters rattling on about a new assignment.

And that was another thing, _assignments_. They were a lot more difficult and more frequent since she went to high school, after finishing one, another was presented to them.

She was getting average results along with most of the Avengers, Bruce and Loki were getting higher results, and Tony, seemingly, didn't even bother handing anything in.

His presence at the cafeteria table was becoming increasingly sparse as his lunch times were taken up with detentions. At least there was less of him filling their ears about the debate between vodka and rum, and which one he preferred more.

Natasha absently turned her attention quickly back to the teacher as Loki shifted suddenly.

She may have the slightest trace of a really weird, really frustrating, hormone filled crush on him, but no way in _hell _was he supposed to realise it.

And if he did, she may as well take her tie and hang herself from the ceiling fan now and be done with it.

"The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate that you can perceive different types of representations among different canvases. In this case a visual representation of your elected character" Ms Masters was saying as she sat on her desk, legs crossed with note pad in hand.  
Her hair was tied in a messy bun today, showing off her long neck and slightly plunging neckline.

Was that even legal to wear to school?

Natasha could basically feel the cross current of every males eyes directed to Ms Masters impressive cleavage as she continued "I'm going to assign you into pairs and you and your chosen partner will work together on this project each placing input into it. That includes you Tim"

Natasha elbowed Tony who looked around wildly before he realised Ms Masters looking at him inquiringly.

"Oh yeah" Tony said catching on to his fake name and nodding quickly, Natasha closing her eyes and exhaling slightly in exasperation.

Was _no one _taking this job seriously?

"Good" Ms Masters said throwing him a small yet dazzling smile which Tony returned

"Keep it in your pants Stark" Natasha muttered through her teeth as Ms Masters turned away, Stark frowning at her and murmuring something incoherent but obviously insulting under his breath.

She ignored this as Ms Masters started aligning the pairs, groans and some cheers filling the class room as students were either paired with best friends, or social outcasts.

Tony was paired with some nerdy girl named Marie who sat at the front of the class; he gave her a slight wave as she turned to look at him, which she returned with a disappointed expression.

And just as Natasha believed and hoped that the distance between her and the God of Mischief was growing, fate decided otherwise, and set him as her partner.

He turned around in his seat and fixed her with a small mischievous smile making her breath catch in her throat.

"What are you grinning at?" she hissed at him when he did not turn away, his smile seemed to grow at her question.

"Oh you know, just the prospect of us working together" he said in an innocent tone "for the _good _of mankind"

"It's just an English project" she replied, though, with less vehemence as his green eyes bore into hers "I really doubt you'll be aiding me, or anybody else for that matter, in any kind of _good_"

"Well then for the good of the educational board" Loki replied waving a hand airily in front of him "Or whatever you mortals deem worthy of such a task"

Natasha decided to ignore him, and started scribbling in her book as Ms Masters wrote up some pointers on the white board, only looking back at him until he turned away.

"Stuck with the God of Ego" Tony muttered beside her, eyebrow raised and shaking his head "I really don't fancy being you right now"

_ No_, Natasha thought with a sigh as she felt Kristin's glare on the back of her head. _Neither do I.  
_

* * *

Natasha did not approach Loki in the following days about their assignment, and he did not find her and demand her assistance in the project.

Sometimes she would spy him sitting underneath that same tree, reading a different book each time, not even taking note of the girls that sat on the edge of his peripheral, staring at him in awe, or giggling behind their hands.

They were just mortal after all, and it was with a start Natasha remembered that she too was human. Surrounding herself with a league of super humans, geniuses and gods had constantly blinded her of the fact that she was not invincible, and she was not _immortal._

More so in this situation then she ever had before.

She stared at herself in the mirror constantly, grimacing at every freckle slashed across her nose and cheeks, every blemish which covered her young body, and her red hair which sat limply.

She could change; she could cover up each blemish with foundation, and place as much product in her hair as she could to make it appear more windblown and aesthetically pleasing. She could hem her skirt, lose the tie, and unbutton her shirt to look like all the other girls trying to fit in; but she shouldn't _have _to.

Natasha lay back on her bed at the Avengers manor closing her eyes tightly and sighing out loud as she recalled the day's events in glee.  
She hated that her this rather giddy emotion was made by a thwarted attempt of a girl trying to ensnare Loki into her arms, failing miserably; and rather epically.

The God of Mischief had stood, arms folded, back leaning against the locker casually, dark hair swept to the side carelessly and a blank expression of his face as he was being accosted by the same girl who had questioned his likes to Thor a week before.

That stupid bow was still in her hair; but at least she had ditched the bear backpack.

Natasha had been passing by and bent down suddenly pretending to tie her shoe as she eavesdropped into their conversation.

"Alana" the girl was saying to Loki, slight desperation in her voice as he looked back at her eyebrow raised "Alana Banks? I sit next to you in Biology, remember? You let me borrow a pencil…"

"Oh, is that what this is about?" Loki asked obliviously as he pulled out the pencil from nowhere "I thank you for allowing me to make use of it"

The girl hesitated before taking back the pencil and looking up at Loki in confusion "Thanks, but that's not exactly what I wanted to talk to you about"

"Then what is it?"

"W-well I," Alana stuttered "I was wondering if maybe you'd like to join, like, me and my friends for lunch"

"Lunch?" Loki replied voice flat and lengthening the word as though it were something distasteful "I don't…"

"Or we could egg a teacher's car…"

"I…what?" he asked, a confused expression lining his face.

Natasha bit her lip, trying not to laugh and continued to fiddle with her laces.

"Set a bin on fire, put blue dye in the pool, that kind of thing" Alana continued thoughtfully "I hear you're into that sort of stuff"

_"Stuff_?" Loki inquired, eyes narrowing and suspicion drenching his words "And who, may I ask, has been spreading said_, stuff?"  
_  
The girl noticing danger tried to cover her tracks but after a few short sentenced attempts instead fled under his narrowed gaze, a snake shaped locket bouncing off her chest as she did so.

"Thor" he hissed under his breath before pushing himself from the locker, not even noticing Natasha and walking away quickly, probably to give his foster brother a good beating.

Even as Natasha lay on her bed she couldn't help the giggle rise through her throat and fill the room.

The girl's attempts had been foolish and juvenile. She had thought that a few placed words and a pretty smile was enough to arouse the interests of the trickster.

Natasha snorted, a smile still lining her face in the way the girl had failed so abysmally in her mission.

Thor had returned to the manor pouting slightly, and when asked by the others about what was wrong, refused to answer instead holing himself up in his room like a misbehaving child.

_Loki probably gave him hell_, Natasha considered, blowing a strand of red hair out of her face. Thor _had_ been rather foolish and oblivious in divulging that information to others.

Though considering the Black Widow had gone out of her way to obtain a bangle in the shape of a snake herself, perhaps she too was acting rather foolish as well.

* * *

**A/N: Its Thors-day everybody!  
And I have the biggest headache, so I'm sorry if this chapter came out a little mumbled and jumbled.**  
**Someone commented about fan art, and yes, please if you guys have an artistic streak and an inkling to catch this story on paper, go ahead and I'll post the link in my profile. Hell, stick figures are fine, I'd still be completely overjoyed about it xD**


	7. Little Miss Muffet

Alana Banks has gone missing.

Natasha paused, her cup of coffee lifted halfway to her lips as this message was relayed to her from a very angry Fury who looked down at all the Avengers shifting restlessly in their seats.

Alana Banks had been the daughter of a running senate who upon finding his daughter's absence alerted the entire media and his demands for the perpetrator.

"This isn't exactly a walk in the park Nick" Tony retorted pouring himself another mug of black coffee "Half the school's population is female, we don't really know who is going to be abducted next"

"Tony's right" Steve chimed standing up, not that it had much affect "We have no leads except that they all attend Marstenson Private School"

"Then perhaps it's something in the school" Clint forwarded eyes narrowed "Maybe they're all still in the school, in the basement or something. _Feel that_? I'm getting goosebumps"

"You need to stop watching B grade horror films Hawk" Tony said shaking his head with a small smile "Next thing you know there'll be a man with a hook for a hand wandering the hallways. Though, it could make school more interesting…"

Natasha bit her bottom lip as Fury stood stock still watching the exchanges

"Is this a joke to you?" he demanded suddenly

All the Avengers at the table stopped talking abruptly as their focus went back onto the Director of Shield who was glaring down at them all.

"This is the 5th girl in five months who has gone missing. Do me a favour?_ Grow up_, do your job and make sure it doesn't happen again. I didn't send you to that school so you could play footsie underneath the lab tables, and make goo-goo eyes at the cheerleaders and _bad boys_"

Natasha tried not to choke on her coffee and came out with a couple of small coughs making Clint pet her back lightly as Fury continued. "I know you aren't in your elements, but I still expect you to do your job and look out for the wellbeing of civilians, are we clear?"  
There was a mumbling of consent among them  
"I said are we clear?"

"Yes sir" they all murmured in union before moving away from him and returning to the common room of the manor

"Jeez" Tony cried flopping to the lounge ungracefully "Crack a whip why doesnt't he? It's not exactly like we aren't trying"

"Fury's right though" Natasha reprimanded, pacing in front of the floor to ceiling windows as the rest of them fit themselves on the sofa, except for Thor who stood arms crossed next to the widescreen set.

"She-Fury" Tony muttered darkly earning a glare from her

"I say we pair off" she continued eyes still narrowed "Investigate the scenes, maybe there's something the police missed, Clint?"

She looked to Clint who nodded slowly, papers rifling in his hands as he looked through them  
"Sounds about right" he said carefully pulling out a sheet "All of the girls were last seen in different parts of the school grounds. The last one, Alana Banks, was previously seen in the girls locker rooms of the inside pool."

Natasha nodded as the information sunk in, mulling over the data carefully.

"Tony and Bruce can check out the scenes of the first girl, Clint can check out the second, Thor and Steve can look after disappearances three and four, I'll check out the last one" Natasha said quickly listing them off as they each nodded in understanding of their roles

"What of my brother?" Thor asked now "Surely he can play part in this?"

Natasha looked at the others who all grimaced slightly

"Well Thor" Steve started slowly "Loki's never been one to play well with others. I honestly don't think he's interested in helping out his enemies"

The young thunder god frowned, his furrow crinkling slightly

"My brother may be a lot of things, but he will not back down on his word to help when he has promised it for sanctuary" he turned to Natasha whose eyes widened slightly like a dear caught in the head lights "Perhaps he may assist you Lady Natasha. He seems to not mind you as much as the others."

_Why would you consider that a compliment? _Natasha growled at her heart whose pulse seemed to quicken at the words.

"I don't know Thor" she answered softly trying to maintain her calm façade as a blush surely crept up her cheeks. The blonde haired god's expression fell into disappointment, and she sighed loudly "Alright, fine, I'll work with him."

Thor smiled moving forward to clap a hand on her shoulder "I shall inform him straight away" he announced striding out of the common room with a small skip in his step"

An awkward silence hung in the air after he left the room.

Tony started to clap slowly as Natasha closed her eyes, suffocating the groan that wished to escape her mouth.

* * *

"What exactly are you hoping to find?" Loki asked, his voice echoing against the tiled walls as he and Natasha searched the girls swimming locker rooms.

"Anything" she sighed back looking underneath all the benches as she did so. Loki had disappeared into the shower cubicles supposedly looking for anything that might help assist them. "A pen, an eraser, a hand, _preferably with a girl attached…"_

Silence followed this, which she was thankful for. It was hard enough trying to concentrate when he kept drifting in and out of her senses.

"I think I knew this girl" Loki suddenly stated making her jump at the sudden noise "She sat beside me in Biology studies"

"Oh?" Natasha inquired innocently.

Of course she knew. As soon as she saw the girls picture in the documents she had realised it was the same girl who tried to hit on Loki the previous day.  
Alana Banks, the girl who used childish means to get what she wanted.

_And now someone else has got what they wanted, _Natasha mused, peering through the grates that lined the walls. There was no sign of a disturbance anywhere.

"She was frustratingly annoying" Loki called back "But also extremely forgettable, like most mortals"

Natasha frowned at this but did not answer, instead leaving the statement hanging in the air like a bad smell.

"Have you found anything?" Loki asked now, his voice getting louder as he left the stalls and moved towards her

"No" she answered lifting herself from the floor and looking around trying to find any other place that something may be hidden "Nothing"

Loki watched her warily for a few moments, a slight change from his usual mocking self

"What?"

"Nothing" he replied, taking a hand and dragging it through his dark hair "Just a thought"

"Want a penny?"

"What?"

"Nothing" she snapped shaking her head as he continued to gaze at her

"Why did you ask for my help?" he asked suddenly, eyes round and curious making her feel like a slightly interesting specimen.

"Well I" she stammered, blinking far too many times as she continued "Just taking advantage of the situation, another pair of eyes to see the unseen that kind of thing"

"_Uhuh_" Loki murmured grazing his knuckles over his lips as he pondered her explanation "Thor make puppy dog eyes at you?"

Natasha grimaced but nodded honestly "Limp tail and all"

"Sounds like Thor. Always getting his way"

"Only because we're afraid he'll bring a lightning strike down on us all" she said lightly, trying to make a joke.  
He gave her a small serene smile which made her heart flicker.

Natasha looked away from his brilliant green eyes, kicking herself mentally as her pulse continued its erratic rhythm. She could feel him slithering up her skin even though he stood a fair distance away from her, as though the air was affected by him just being there. She spied herself in one of the panel mirrors behind him and frowned as she caught something.

"What's that?" she asked making the Trickster God spin around to see where her gaze was settled

"What's what?" he inquired obliviously as he spun around again to face her, Natasha spinning around with him as she looked up to the high windows behind her.

She could just spy a corner of cloth lying just out of reach and hanging slightly off the edge of the window sill. She pointed it out to him and he frowned.

"You think it's something of use?" Loki asked sceptical to which Natasha shrugged

"It's at least something, do you think you can reach it?" she asked him as he moved forward arm outstretched to try and grab at it, he scrabbled at the tiles but it still remained a good head away from his fingers.

She frowned as he stepped back looking around for something to stand on, but the bin and benches were fixed to the ground. Natasha sighed loudly looking longingly up at the peace of cloth, just out of her reach.

"Here" Loki said crouching down and interlacing his fingers. "I'll give you a boost"

Natasha jumped startled at his position and took a precautionary step back "What?"

"A boost" he repeated impatiently raising an eyebrow "You do wish to get the cloth yes?"

"Well, yes but…"

"Well? Come on" he snapped obviously uncomfortable at his position, and looked pointedly at her and back to his hands

"I, ahh okay" she stammered moving forward slowly and placing one of her school shoes in his hands and stepping in carefully as he pushed up.

She was not ready for the sudden movement and found herself clasping the back of his dark head, a grunt emitting from him as his face was pushed into her skirt. She blushed furiously at their position and tried to steady herself, Loki holding on so she wouldn't fall.

His hair was so soft intertwined in her slender fingers, dark locks splaying through the crevices.

_No, not the time to think about that_, Natasha thought frustrated as they continued to shift into a more comfortable position but found it futile.

They stood still for an awkward moment, trying to figure out what to do next.

"I thought you were meant to be agile" Loki commented, muffled in her tartan skirt where his voice vibrated on her thighs making her flush red.

"Shut it" she said through clenched teeth as she loosened her grip on his hair.

"Can you reach it?" he murmured against her. She looked up and reached out a hand to try and grab at the fabric just managing to clasp onto the end and pull.

"It's stuck" she huffed taking her other hand from his head and trying to reach for it, pulling determinedly "Almost there"

He did not answer as she continued to struggle, his face trying to move away from his skirt to see her progress, she felt his movements, and a tingling sensation down in the depths of her stomach filled her as he did so. She refused to pay heed to it and continued tugging at the fabric.

"Got it!" She yelled pulling it quickly, the movement however made her body quickly lean back making Loki lose his grip on her as they both fell with the friction.

A whoosh of air passed by her ear as she waited for the impact of the tile which never came.

She realised she had shut her eyes and now opened them, startled by the fact that she was immobile in mid-air.

Natasha gasped unable to move her body in anyway as it hung in the air, mid fall.  
She heard a huff of displeasure behind her as Loki walked into her frame of view taking her bodily and placing her feet back on the ground.

He stepped backwards murmuring something and waving a hand in the air which allowed Natasha to gain access and control back to her movements and stumble forward ungracefully.

"Thank you" she said with a sigh, glad that she was without injury and glad that his magic had been of some help. Natasha still had the fabric clenched in her fist which she opened as Loki moved forwards to see what she had procured.

"It's Alana's bow" she stated instantly realising the familiar fabric and shape. The same bow Alana was wearing in her portfolio picture, and the one she wore both times Natasha had seen her.

Specks of brown splattered across the right side of it.

"Blood" Loki voiced her thoughts to which she nodded

"Looks like" Natasha frowned looking back up at the window sill "Why was it up there?"

"Maybe she was taken out the window" he replied in some amusement before smiling widely, an expression often made by his older self when he was pleased with the way things had turned out "Can't say this day hasn't been enlightening, and thoroughly eventful"

Natasha nodded with a small smile before narrowing her eyes suddenly and fixing him with a glare

"If you can use magic, why didn't you just use it to get the bow down in the first place?"

Loki looked at her eyes sparkling green and giving her another cheeky smile before spinning around to leave and calling over his shoulder "That wouldn't have been nearly as much _fun!"_

* * *

**A/N: Ahh Loki you little shit! **  
**This chapter is basically for plot progression. I needed it, the story needed it, we all needed it.**


	8. Ain't no Hollaback

Natasha left out the unnecessary details when bringing the evidence back to the team, and thankfully nobody asked for them. They sat around the kitchen island in the Avengers Mansion, sitting on bar stools and looking slightly morbid.

"Blood?" Clint asked incredulously as he handled the bow in its plastic casing, tipping it back and forth in his hands before handing it to Steve who did the same.

"Not a good sign is it?" He asked in his wheezy voice looking around at them, all of their expressions remaining sombre.

Fury was at least somewhat thankful for the small amount of progress, and Banner disappeared with the bow down into his lab to run some tests about the supposed blood splatter. The rest of them however trudged off to school, slightly put down that this new finding could not earn them the day off as well.

They passed numerous fliers of missing persons. Alana Banks' smug face on the forefront, decorating street lamps and electricity poles. School was much the same, the corridors and random lockers smothered in the missing girls face.

"Now class" Mr Brown was saying at the front of first period History "I've been told to inform you that due to recent events your gym period will be dedicated to self-defence this week, just as a precaution"

Natasha instantly lighted up at this while Steve groaned beside her in distaste much like the rest of the class. Actively using her prowess with permission was something she could look forward to, especially if fate decided to partner her with the likes of Kristin. At least if the girl was hurt, she could just blame it on over enthusiasm to the course.

Upon entering the gym there were aerobic mats all over the floor, the gym coach was large and had a beefy neck as he watched them enter through the large doors dressed in their blue polo shirts and maroon gym shorts.  
Natasha was increasingly comfortable in these despite their lack of aesthetic pleasure; they were a welcome change from the heavy skirt and stiff blouse she usually had to wander around in.

She stretched eagerly as she waited for the rest of the class to appear. Kristin wandered in not even bothering to tie her hair up, flexing her perfectly manicured nails as she continued to chat with her group. Natasha couldn't help the smirk alight on her face at the thought of hauling her onto the ground.

"Remember Tasha" Clint said softly next to her "Control your strengths"

"Yeah sure no problem" Natasha said distractedly aiming him a small smile "You know me, it's all about control"

_Control of chucking that bitch through a window.  
_  
Clint pet her lightly on the back as the coach directed them to the mats, they moved forward and were paired up, Kristin becoming paired up with a gangly boy she looked at in distaste. Fortunately Natasha and Clint were paired together and took the directed stances.

"School girl Tasha" he whispered to her making her frown "Don't reveal yourself"

"C'mon Clint" she questioned frustrated "Not even a little?"

Clint gave her a sympathetic smile but shook his head. She sighed loudly in defeat throwing her long ponytail over her shoulder as she turned her back on him to listen to the coach.

They first learnt some minor protocol defences against each other, there were a lot of giggles and groans echoing around the large gym. Natasha learnt this moves as a child and was instantly bored, blocking every one of Clint's advances with hardly any attention as she looked at those around her.

A large looking jock was partnered with a slender but tall girl to the right of them. The girl had purple dyed hair and a number of piercings that Natasha was sure would not be accepted in the schools criteria of a model student.  
The girl continued to look up at the boy in defiance as he leered down at her, he flicked her on the shoulder and continued to jab at her more annoyingly then as if she were actually being attacked.

"Stop touching me you perv" the girl growled at him angrily as she pushed her hand against his chest to push him back, he instead grabbed her hands and gave her a toothy smile

"You know you want it" he said with a chuckle as he pulled her struggling towards him, her legs buckling as he did so "Come on Winters, stop being so frigid!"

Natasha had had enough and abruptly stopped defending herself as Clint made a swipe at her stomach. She barely even noticed the pain or Clint's mumbled apologies instead ignoring him as she took off for the girl and the boy.

"Hey" she said loudly approaching them making the boy pause but the girl still continue to struggle against his grip as they both looked at her "Let her go!"

The boy gave her a grin but let the purple haired girl go anyway, making her stumble away and land clumsily on her butt with a small noise.

"I'm just doing as I'm told" the boy said mockingly as Natasha stood glaring at him with all the poison she could muster

"Pretty sure the task wasn't set for you to _get off_" she snapped back, she looked at the girl who gazed up at her from the ground "Change partners?"

The girl hesitated but then nodded slowly as she heaved herself from the ground and went to join Clint who looked at her as though unsure of how to handle this situation.

"That's fine" the jock said as Natasha turned back to look at him "Didn't want an emo anyway"

Natasha refused to answer and instead listened to the coach who was directing them into a new formation where the girls were to stand in front of the boys.

"In the chance that your attacker jumps you from behind" the coach was saying demonstrating with another couple, he got the boy to place his arm around the girls neck from behind and then started to bend her over "You bend over in the hopes that your attacker can be thrown off."

"Now that's my kind of approach" the jock whispered behind her making Natasha grimace as he came forward placing an arm around her neck his mouth against her ear so she could hear his ragged breaths.

_Control your strengths_, Clint's warning flitted through her head making her frown as she took the boys arm and made a half-hearted attempt at flipping him over her back.

She made little noises as though she was finding it really difficult, the boy chuckled in her ear "Oh you are turning me _on_"

Suddenly she felt his hand slowly moving away from her neck and down her chest. She couldn't help but snarl as she bent forward furiously, taking his arm and throwing him over herself. There was a loud cry as the jock impacted with a loud thump onto the mattress.

Natasha exhaled briefly as she watched the jock on his back in front of her, eyes closed and whimpering curses.  
She looked up to find everyone staring at the two of them with wide eyes including the coach.

"Well that was…" the coach started but broke off

"Hilarious" the purple hair girl standing next to Hawkeye said loudly and started laughing as everyone else either gazed in shock or gave small smiles as they turned away. Clint looked at Natasha disapprovingly and all she could do was shrug lamely as the jock was hauled to his feet by the coach telling him to _walk it off.  
_

* * *

"That was amazing!"

Natasha spun around as she buttoned up her blouse in the changing rooms. The purple haired girl stood behind her with a large smile plastered over her face.

"Ahh" Natasha said as she picked up her woollen vest "Thank you?"

"No, thank you!" The girl said with a small laugh, her eyes twinkling in the light in a colour Natasha was sure could only be made with contacts. "Hauling Travis Peterson _over your head, _he's never going to live that down! I wish I had my phone, this could have been viral on YouTube!"

Natasha smiled at the girl she had rescued from the jock earlier as she threw the vest over herself, straightening the collar of her white blouse as the girl continued to smile in a reminiscent attitude

"Glad I could help" Natasha said making the girl snap out of her daze and fix her with another toothy smile

"I'm Monica, by the way" the girl said her purple hair bouncing around her as she teetered forward on her toes before falling back on her heels "Monica Winters"

"Natalie Rushman" Natasha answered with another smile, the girl pulling out her phone covered in skull and crossbones stickers and placing it towards Natasha who looked at it confusedly

"Give me your digits, Facebook, twitter, blood type, favourite colour, _whatever!"_ Monica said forcing the phone into her hands "Only thing that matters is I think you're _awesome_, and we should totally be friends"

Natasha gaped before realising her mouth had opened slightly in shock "You really don't beat around the bush do you?"

The girl called Monica gave her another smile and shook her head "You never get what you want if you continue to sidestep the situation. That's what my dad always says, and he should know, he's on to his fourth divorce"

"That's _interesting_…"

"No it isn't, he's a man whore" Monica laughed

"Yeah well, I know a couple of those" Natasha said rolling her eyes with a smile as she filled in her details onto the girls phone quickly. Once done the girl winked at her as she took back her phone.

"Gotta dash, but see you at lunch tomorrow? _Yes? _Yes" the girl answered for her with a small wave before practically skipping away leaving Natasha to wonder if the girl had had one to many red bulls.

She sat down alone in the now empty changing rooms with a small sigh, feeling as though she had accomplished something impossible. Her own phone vibrated startling her from her reverie as it sang its tone next to her, echoing off the tiles of the room.

"Hello?" Natasha answered with a small sigh

_"Tasha, it's me"  
_  
"Yes Clint, what's up?"

_"Are you still in the changing rooms?"  
_  
Natasha's eyes narrowed "Yes"

Clint paused on the other line as though figuring out what to say _"So am I"  
_  
"That's nice, your point?"

_"Well, something's happened…"  
_  
"What?"

_"Well…"_

"Clint what is it?" she asked becoming frustrated at Clint's hesitations.

There was a small ruffling noise Natasha couldn't discern and then a deep inhale as he spoke in a small voice

_"I'm an adult again"_

* * *

**A/N: Yes Clint has returned to all his glory and fine ass-ness.**  
**Sucks to be Natasha. **  
**No Loki this chapter, can't expect him to be hanging around all the time.**  
**My holidays are over unfortunately, which means I return to college tomorrow which means less chances to write. I'll try to keep up my chapters but it may be put off a couple of times, so no promises. **  
**Also, if this chapter reminds you of an episode of any series, gold star for whoever guesses correctly as I was keeping that in mind while writing this xD**


	9. So, friends?

"Interesting" Loki mused as he stood in front of Clint now back in his adult form. He couldn't keep the pleased expression off his face, making Natasha envious that she too had not been reverted back into an adult "It seems as if the effects of my experiment wares off differently for each person who was in presence of it. Barton here has been fully reverted back into an adult without any side effects"

"Wait" Tony stated waving his hands in front of him "Back up, you're saying there _could _have been side effects?"

"Perhaps" Loki said with a small smile not looking at any of them "It is of no concern now"

They were all stationed in the Avengers Manor lounge room, Clint seated on a wooden chair as Loki paced around him.

Natasha frowned as the trickster God mulled over Barton's normal form, as though sniffing out something that remained unseen. Getting Clint out of the boy's change room was a slightly harder feat, having to wait until the school bell rung for departure before entering with a spare janitor's uniform. Even harder was for Clint to wait in the cubicle telling his new school friends that he had a stomach bug, and that it was affecting his now deeper voice.

Fortunately no one had noticed one of the Avengers on campus, the thought that Hawkeye would be at their school, wearing a janitors uniform and on the arm Natalie Rushman seemed to ludicrous to deem absolute.

"Did you feel anything before the change?" Loki asked now snapping Natasha from her thoughts and sending them back to the subject at hand "Any symptoms?"

"Well" Clint replied thoughtfully as he strained his memory "A tingling sensation mostly, like spiders crawling over my skin. Once I realised that something wasn't right I ran to the toilet cubicle just as a precaution and then.." Clint waved his hands over himself "_Poof! _Back to regular me. I was kind of surprised, I thought it would hurt, or at least have a progression stage like Banner transforming into the Hulk, but I was just me again"

"Yeah" Tony snorted in between Steve and Bruce on the lounge "You're a regular Cinderella"

"So I take it we won't get much warning before changing back" Bruce stated ignoring Tony and looking quietly intrigued "That could be a problem if we were to change in the vicinity of the public. Seeing as Clint was nude and all"

A slight blush crept over the archers face as he stuttered for a response "My clothes were tight!"

"Any reason huh Hawk?" Tony chided with a small smile

"It doesn't matter, Bruce is right" Natasha said with a shake of her head "Any of you start to get the tingles you retreat. The last thing we need is some student whipping out their phone to record a naked Captain America running through the schools corridors."

"I guarantee it over a million views on YouTube" Tony muttered to Steve who gave a small smile

"Only if I return to my usual self" Steve commented "Or if the serum disappears in the change"

A slight hush filled the room stifled only by Loki's chuckle "As much as I would love for the Avengers to be one down in their little group, I can assure you that all will be put back to normal if anything has been judged by Barton here. I experimented with time, not genetic data"

"That is good to hear" Thor claimed with a brilliant smile following Loki's words "Everything will be as it was"

"Indeed" Loki exhaled softly turning from Clint and grabbing his satchel bag before heading for the door "Oh and Romanoff?" Natasha raised an eyebrow watching his progress to leave the Manor; he turned his head to look over his shoulder at her with a small smile "We really ought to start our English assignment. I'm thinking a mural, or perhaps a montage of some sort, Lady Macbeth seems to be a more interesting character of the play, so I suggest we use her as our protégé."

"I guess" Natasha stammered caught off guard, she was expecting something more urgent, or perhaps a snarky comment instead of showing interest into their education.

"Of course we won't be making one of those awful cardboard pieces with glued on images that lines our classrooms" He mused more to himself then her, she frowned slightly abashed, a piece of plain cardboard sat on the desk in her room "Something symbolic, perhaps themes should be used. A monument of some kind, more of a structural presence, engaging the audience"

He shook his head as though shaking away a thought, and without so much as a wave he left the room, no doubt to set up plans and blueprints for whatever was blossoming in his head.

"Loki is an accomplished artist" Thor stated leaning against the wall as everyone remained silent at the Tricksters departure "It was one of his lesser known skills in Asgard as it was seen more as a feminine ability. I regret making jest of it as I once did"

Natasha remained quiet trying to rid her thoughts of Loki behind a canvas, making delicate and precise movements with a paintbrush. So, he rides a motorcycle, speaks like he's from a Midsummer Night's Dream and enjoys reading literature, handsome, humorous and now he likes art as well?

_Ugh,_ Natasha thought with a grimace, _my ovaries…  
_  
"You okay Tasha?" Clint asked sidling over to her, a pronounced difference in height now that he was back to his adult self

"Yeah just fine" she replied not able to keep the poison out of her words

"Look" Clint said with a small apologetic smile "I'm sorry, I wish it could've been you who changed back, or at least someone else. I know how much you hate being as you are right now"

Natasha managed to get some of the venom out of her words and returned a small smile which seemed to placate him slightly.

"School won't be the same without you" she admitted crossing her arms "Now I guess I'll have to replace you"

"Ha!" Clint laughed "You'll never replace someone as epic as me"

"Really?" Natasha mocked, her smile becoming brighter "is that a challenge?"

"I wouldn't set you up with an impossible task"

It was Natasha's turn to laugh, all thoughts of Loki aside "Nothing is impossible"

* * *

Monica Winters was a sixteen year old, slightly exuberant if a little hyper teenager. She was obsessed with social networking, something called Tumblr and practically spending life on her laptop. She also had an unhealthy obsession with a man named Benedict Cumberbatch, whom Natasha was told by a wide eyed Monica, had amazing facial structure and eyes that have to be supernatural in some aspect.

Natasha spent the most of her lunch period being lectured on who the best doctor was out of Dr Who, and while she didn't care much for these _fandoms_, as Monica stated, she was glad to be seated with someone who did not seem to care about social layouts.

Monica was the daughter of a wealthy lawyer, who did not care much for what his daughter did as long as she was happy and stayed out of his hair, which according to the purple headed teen, she was very much obliged to do.  
Natasha noted that girls eye colour had changed from the unnatural violet she had met her with, to a baby blue that still did not seem as natural as it could have been.

Monica also appeared to be a self-supported social outcast, claiming that most of her classmates had their heads shoved way to far up their ass's to deem them suitable for friendship.

"But not you" she commented shoving a spoon of frozen yoghurt into her mouth "I can't really judge seeing as I haven't known you for long, but you seem pretty cool"

"Only because I threw a kid over my head" Natasha commented wryly causing another bright smile to erupt over the girls face

Defence lessons were going pretty smoothly, though the boy named Travis had chosen to sit out on the lessons after his last encounter and Natasha was now partnered with Monica who seemed happy at the thought of being thrown over her head.

For the fifth time Natasha had brought Monica over her head as gently as she could, and only because the purple haired girl had insisted. She laid for a moment breathless on the gym mats and burst out into laughter each time.

"Are you a sadist?" Natasha asked her as she continued to roll around on her back in a fit of giggles

"Maybe" Monica replied with another round of giggles "You need to be my body guard!"

"Is that an offer?"

"Perhaps" she considered seriously

"I'm not cheap"

"I'll give you all the frozen yoghurt in the world!"

Natasha found herself liking the presence of Monica much to her surprise, and would sometimes fill her in in some minor details of her life when she was feeling charitable.

"Kristin's a total bitch and poser" she replied when Natasha had vented her feelings about the blonde girl "Why don't you just flip her over her head, or break her nose or something, I'm sure it's used to plastic surgery by now"

"I don't want to cause trouble"

"Naww, so righteous" Monica sighed twirling a finger around a purple stand of hair before spying someone at the opposite end of the court yard and smiling "Speaking of trouble"

Natasha whirled around and then instantly whirled back a blush creeping over her features, Loki was striding in their direction looking pleased about something. She shot a look at Monica who gave her a sly smile, instantly regretting divulging the information of an unspoken crush to the girl who had taken it upon herself to make her uncomfortable each time he was near.

"Please tell me he's not coming this way" Natasha murmured through gritted teeth

"He's not coming this way" Monica answered with another smile

"I dislike you"

"I'm only being honest" she answered "I'm not lying, he's honestly not coming this way"

Natasha spun around to see Loki being intercepted by a blonde haired girl that she could only discern as Kristin, and dragging him off in another direction. A pang of envy filled Natasha as she followed the God of Mischief being roped into one of Kristin's schemes.

"Watch it there Nat, you're looking a little green" Monica commented as Natasha spun around pursing her lips "Don't beat yourself up, Kristin usually ensnares any guy she fancies into her hive"

_But Loki isn't any guy, _Natasha thought furiously with a mental slap

_Then what is he?_ A voice inside her head inquired making her insides shrivel, _and more importantly, why can't you get him out of our head?_

"He can have Kristin" she replied to Monica who looked over at her curiously "But if I know anything about him, he'd get bored as soon as he's taken what he's needed"

"He sounds like an asshole" Monica snorted

"He really is" she answered with a small smile_._

"A very attractive asshole"  
_  
_"The worst kind"

* * *

**A/N: This chapter. I don't know.**  
**I guess I sort of needed a set up with the project, transformations, Clint, Natasha making a friend that sort of thing.**  
** For a moment I thought about making Monica actually Loki pretending to be a high school girl, but decided against it. That would mean having to go through all my plot points I've written down and changing some stuff.**  
**This is more about Natasha making a very modern high schooler a friend.**  
**Some english project next chapter I assume, so Loki and Tasha working together, expect awkwardness and angstyness. Don't quote me, once I start writing it takes a life of its own.  
Again, thanks for all the kind reviews and follows!  
And to those who guessed, yes it was Buffy. Gold stars for all of you!**


	10. Red Paint

It was in English literature when Loki finally spun around almost startling Natasha from her seat and making her hand reflexively moving to where she would usually carry a gun.

"We really need to start on this project" Loki explained ignoring her reaction with ease "Time is running out and while you do not seem to have any efforts concerned in motivating yourself into the assignment, I find it highly unfair that I am left to do all the work. This is a partnership is it not?"

Natasha blinked a couple of times. Was the God of Lies and Mischief seriously giving her a lecture on fairness and cooperation? The man, who had a serious superiority complex, took down half of Manhattan, destroyed the Bermuda Triangle, gained access to all missile launches and threatened the entire state and not to mention that one time the Grand Canyon had been filled with gummy bears?

All because_,_ and Natasha quotes, _I was bored, and gummy bears are addictive._

So why did she feel guilty?

"Alright fine" she said calmly looking away from his piercing green eyes, scribbling a passage of Macbeth down in her text book, categorising it into one of the main themes "Your place or mine?"

She was fairly surprised when he had chosen his place as their intended location, feeling her heart drop down into her stomach and dissolve in the acid.

She wished she hadn't asked, wished they would just work in the Avengers Manor in the presence of security cameras and the other Avengers including his older brother just in case there were ulterior motives in working with her.

But all she did was place on a cool and collected façade and nod at his suggestion.

"When?" she asked still not looking at him

"Today" he replied shortly before spinning around, the girl next to him peering back at her in obvious jealousy.

_Great,_Natasha thought inwardly biting her cheek to refrain snapping something at the girl's narrowed gaze. She supposed that to outside listeners her conversation with Loki had sounded somewhat like the set up of a really awkward date.

Tony clucked his tongue at her and leaned in to whisper "Now you kids play nice."

She gave him a dangerous look which made him hold up his hands in mock surrender a slight smile playing on the corners of his smug face, taking obvious joy in the Black Widow being left alone with the Trickster god.

_Alone with Loki_, she pondered with a growing sense of resentment. Scenarios flitted through her head; being stabbed by a pair of crafting scissors, to getting thrown out of a window and to being thrown on his bed and ravished.

_Ravished?_ She thought with a grimace, _who says that?_

The class bell rang proclaiming that the period was now completed, Natasha stood up but was instantly bowled over by Kristin who practically shoved her sprawling back into her seat and almost tipping it over if it weren't for Tony who had decided his help was needed in this moment.

"Hey" he said angrily looking at the Blonde who raised an eyebrow

"Accident" she said looking at Natasha a condescending smirk written on her face "Sorry Natalie"

"Yeah, right" Natasha replied through clenched teeth as the girl moved forward to where Loki was watching with a narrowed gaze, instantly changing the moment Kristin had started speaking to him.  
A smile aimed in her direction as he answered her queries about his wellbeing or the weekend. Natasha was done caring and simply gathered her things striding from the classroom, blood boiling Tony trailing after before moving away to find Bruce. Natasha reached her locker and twisted the combination in, Monica fell onto the adjacent locker beside her with a lack of finesse.

"Whoa" she exclaimed at the expression pasted on Natasha's face "Nat, baby, honey, you look a little tomato-ish. What's got you looking like last night's _borscht_?"

"What do you think?" Natasha growled back slamming her locker

"Bimbo brigade?" Monica asked with a small sympathetic smile, which was answered by a short nod as Natasha leaned back on to her locker with a small huffing sound. Monica placed her hand into a fist and bumped her shoulder with it "Don't worry Rushman; karma's got your back"

"Karma?"

"Means whatever you do comes back to you"

"I know what it means" Natasha murmured sullenly "I just don't put my faith much into that system"

She looked down at her body again with an inward sigh. She had saved thousands upon thousands, and this was how she was rewarded? She sincerely doubted karma would help her out now, even as Loki was striding towards her this very moment, blazer slung over his shoulder.

Monica made an appreciative noise next to her, nudging her slightly with a shoulder causing Natasha to roll her eyes.

"You ready to go?" Loki asked upon arriving, sparing a glance at Monica who smirked back at him.

"Go?" Natasha repeated confusedly, furrow creasing which granted a noise of impatience from the Trickster

"Assignment? My place? Remember?" Loki explained incredulously "We honestly did not speak of this less than ten minutes ago"

"You were looking a little side tracked" Natasha commented as Kristin passed by fixing her with a stank eye as she laughed with her friends.

"Was I?" Loki mused curiously as he looked over his shoulder to see what she was gazing at, but by that time the blonde had already disappeared around the corner with a swish of her ponytail. "Well despite what you may think, we have made plans and I would rather see them become reality"

"Plans?" Monica inquired curiosity etched across her features with a hardly supressed smile "Together? Alone?"

"Working on an assignment Winters" Natasha said trying to keep the growing frustration out of her voice as Loki continued to study her, his eyes sparking slightly in what she assumed amusement.

"Right" Monica replied backing away slowly, looking quite like the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland "Well I think I'll leave you two to your _assignment"_

She winked once at Natasha before spinning around and practically skipping away. She turned back to find that Loki's eyes had never left her, she gulped before walking away.

"You're upset" he said finally, falling into step beside her as they walked towards the exit of the school building placing the blazer back on.

"No I'm not" she answered simply

"Lying to the god of lies" Loki mused

Natasha frowned but didn't answer, instead pursing her lips which made Loki sigh as they walked out of the building and down the stairs to the busy street.

"Wait what are you…?" Natasha exclaimed as she watched Loki instead of heading for the pathway heading for his motorcycle (still parked illegally) flicking out a pair of keys as he did so. He gave her a look.

"You don't expect me to leave it here do you?" he asked as a helmet appeared out of nowhere, making Natasha look around to see if any passing student or bystander had seen this miraculous movement. Surprisingly none did, which made Natasha think Loki was using a lot more magic then what was expected

"Just give me your address and I'll get one of SHIELD to take me there" she said slowly ignoring this new found knowledge

"No, I'll give you a lift" Loki said swinging a long leg over the vehicle "Much simpler"

"Yeah, how about no" she snapped frowning at him "You don't even have a licence, and I wouldn't trust your driving skills with my life. I'm not getting on that"

"Rules, rules, rules, honestly Widow." Loki commented haughtily "As a highly trained assassin and spy it's not as if you're exactly the law abiding citizen"

Her frown deepened as Loki shook the helmet at her.

_Damn him_, she thought in anguish before sighing and snatching the helmet from his hand, shoving it on her head as she moved over towards the Harley. Loki grinned before conjuring another helmet and placing it on as she swung her own shorter leg over the bike with as much grace she could muster.

"Hold on" he said reaching behind him for her hands; his fingers were cool against her own as he guided them around his waist lightly. Her front was pushed slightly against his back, but refused to push any further, this was already awkward enough as it was.

He turned the keys into the ignition which made the bike groan loudly before sounding off into a steady rhythm and beat of the engine. Natasha started at the loud sound and subconsciously pushed herself deeper into his back, her arms tightening around his waist as the bike jutted forward slightly. She could have sworn she heard him laugh as her fingers clenched into his blazer like life support.

And then they were off onto the main road, darting through traffic, much faster then were legal.

She scrunched her eyes as they zoomed by a truck which beeped its horn loudly, and made a silent death threat that she would throttle the trickster into the ground as soon as they arrived at their destination.

The bike slowed down slightly as soon as they were free of traffic, she opened her eyes to finally observe in which direction they were going. Large trees crowded over them as she looked up, the sun blinking through the green leaves and branches.  
They were in a residential part of Manhattan as Loki turned left away from where Central Park was based. She felt slightly amused by the fact that the God of Mischief had set up his own living situations in Midgard and wondered how long he had been living undetected by SHIELD in his own complex.

Little cafes lined the street as well as fancy apartments.

She didn't know what she had expected, perhaps a warehouse or basement of some kind, but even as Loki parked on the tree lined street with its tall building she obviously had to praise the God's taste. Of course someone as egotistical as Loki wouldn't live in a hole or cave, the fact that she had thought made her cringe in her stupidity.

"You live here?" she asked looking up at the tall building with its old but beautiful architecture.

"One of many" he answered also removing his helmet which disappeared in his hands "This is just the closest"

She wanted to ask how many he had, but she was sure that it would have been seen an obvious attempt to gain more information on her enemy, so she kept her mouth shut as he lead her past the door man who gave them a smile.

"Mr Collins" he said at their approach opening the door for them "I trust you're feeling well"

"Quite Trevor" Loki answered with his own smile

"Your brother still in Chicago?"

"Yes, he's not quite sure how long, business you know" Loki answered easily, the door man nodded as they slipped inside.  
Natasha raised an eyebrow at Loki as he pressed the up button to the elevator; he chuckled as they stepped inside.

"Cover story" he explained simply "I'm sure you're used to those"

"Let me guess, your adult self is your older brother, and you're the younger sibling forced to house sit the apartment"

Loki hummed in approval as the door opened at the top level and they both stepped into the fancy corridor. An old lady with a pink dyed poodle smiled toothily at Loki as she passed, the poodle had started to growl at him baring all its teeth.

"Ahh Luke" she said pinching Loki on the cheek "Growing more handsome by the day"

"My looks have nothing to match your beauty Ms Astill" Loki replied with finesse, Natasha had to smother a smile at the strained expression on his face as the old lady continue to pinch his cheek. The poodle had begun to yap at him annoyingly, Loki looked as if he were containing a hiss.

"A charmer this one" Ms Astill mentioned to Natasha who returned the smile "Just like his older brother"

"Oh I'm sure" Natasha blurted out trying to keep the hilarity from her voice

The old lady studied her for a moment dropping her manicured nails from Loki's now red cheek. He was obviously biting his cheek to keep back a probably snarky retort.

"The colour of your hair is astounding" the lady commented taking a strand of Natasha's hair into her fingers "My sister always had hair like yours, always jealous of my brunette. I never told her but I would have preferred the red, so vibrant"

Natasha smiled and nodded as Ms Astill dropped the strand and petted her on the cheek before turning back to Loki who was glaring at the snapping poodle but changed his expression into one of bemusement as the lady's eyes roved over him appreciatively.

"She's a keeper" she said pointing at Natasha before taking her leave and murmuring hushing sounds to the still yapping poodle

Loki waved slightly with a smile before dropping it completely into one of disgust, quite like his older self when the Avengers would thwart one of his plans.

"Mortals" he hissed spinning around and continuing down the hallway and then added "_Poodles_"

"Not to sound in favour, but if she annoys you that much, why don't you just kill her?" Natasha asked as they stopped in front of a door, he looked at her in disappointment

"What would be the gain in that?" he asked incredulously "I don't kill for _fun _Romanoff; I thought you would know that by now. Ms Astill, though how annoyingly insipid she can be, is not currently in the way of my plans for domination. There is no motive"

"And there's always a motive?"

"Well, yes" Loki answered as the door opened turning on the lights to a rather lush apartment with floor to ceiling windows and an excellent view of Manhattan. She could just see the STARK building peering through the sky scrapers. There was a balcony connected to the living room, large green pot plants and vines grew over it and Natasha wondered if Loki watered them in his spare time.

Afternoon sunlight drifted through the windows giving the whole apartment a very airy feeling, and the smell of fresh breeze filled her senses.

Everything was very clean and organised.

"Nice place" she managed to murmur looking around and moving over to the large windows to peer out at the streets below them. They must have been on the top floor. "Amazing view"

"Yes, I rather thought so" Loki commented placing down his satchel bag and then moving into a different room leaving her to stand awkwardly in the lounge room. She sat down slowly onto the edge of one of the leather sofas and glanced about uncertainly.

"So you're just fine with letting me know you live here?" She called out "Aren't you wary that I'll tell SHIELD you live here and find you or something?"

There was a rustling from the other room followed by what she swore was a chuckle

"I'll be long gone by then. As I said, I have many living situations" Loki claimed finally appearing with arms filled of materials and crafting supplies which he dumped onto the living room table almost knocking off the glass vase with orchids. Natasha got up to study what he had brought out, picking up one of the dark materials.

She then noticed the doll, porcelain and stripped of its garments with black ringlets falling from its scalp. She picked it up and held it before her eyebrow raised.

"That will be our canvas" Loki commented as he rifled through the materials "Using the doll and placing on our own fabrics, dark with some light for Lady Macbeth's character, I've also acquired some red paint to cover her hands in."

"That's quite ingenious" Natasha allowed placing the doll back down as she thought back to the piece of cardboard tucked underneath her bed.

Loki snorted, clearly stating that the comment was obvious to his intellect. He gave her a step by step checklist as to what she was supposed to do, and they set to work, Natasha cutting the fabric using stencils Loki had already prepared as he painted the hands of the doll.

They worked in silence for about fifteen minutes, Natasha all too aware of the fact he was sitting so near, and how hard her heart worked to slow down, constricting her chest and making it hard to breathe. Sometimes she would glance sideways taking in his long fingers positioned over the brush and stroking it delicately upon the small porcelain hands.

He smelt of peppermint.

"Tea?" Loki asked suddenly startling her from her thoughts and creepy inhalations. "Or coffee?"

"Tea is fine"

"Earl Grey alright?"

She nodded as he left the table to let the dolls hands dry, staining the newspaper underneath it red with residue. They drank their tea in silence as they continued to work.

It was nearing seven o'clock by the time they finished. The doll was now decked out in an assortment of different materials, from dark velvet to light cloth stained with swipes of red paint. The dolls hair had been partially teased giving it quite a manic appearance, but leaving the soft ringlets on one side. A small portion of the dolls face was missing, a suggestion made by Natasha who Loki had agreed to, commenting on the symbolism and congratulating a flushing Widow on her insight.

"A plus for us" she commented unable to keep the glee from her voice as they finished the oral piece to go along with the visual representation. Loki smirked at her pleased expression, which again brought an infuriating blush to her cheeks.

"How are you by the way?" Loki asked leaning back in his chair and stretching his long legs in front of him crossing them at the ankles.

"Awkward small talk not really my forte" she answered with a small laugh as she jotted down another point on conflicting perspectives between Macbeth and his wife. "Things have gotten slightly better I suppose. Having Monica around helps a lot"

"Ah yes, the purple haired chit" Loki sighed "She attends my maths class"

"Oh?"

"Told me I resembled a man named Jared Leto"

"Do you even know who that is?"

"I, how do you say, _Googled _him_"_

Natasha sputtered her tea, and laughed "And?"

"I don't think I resemble anything like the mortal" Loki huffed at her amusement, frowning slightly and brushing a dark strand of hair out of his face. "So your adapting now?"

"Sort of"

"No troubles of any sort?"

"Nope"

He raised an eyebrow as she averted his gaze "Will you tell me why you were upset this afternoon?"

"Nope" she answered simply

"So you _were _upset?"

"Does it matter?"

"Just curious" he replied leaning forward and making her breath catch in her throat, the smell of peppermint filling her senses. He was so close. "Tell me?"

She looked back at him, his green eyes fixed on hers, slightly hypnotic. She felt her tongue loosen, ready to vent everything and anything that was annoying her. Kristin, her body, the mission, her infatuation with him and how much she wanted him to kiss her right now and be done with it.

Natasha swore she caught a red glint in his eyes and it was this that made her stop and stand up abruptly almost head butting him in the movement.

"Its late" she stated grabbing her bag and swinging it over her shoulders, Loki moved away looking slightly put out as she gathered her things and moving towards the exit murmuring a goodbye without looking at him.

Once outside in the corridor she leaned against the door cursing herself for ever coming here, alone with the trickster.

He was so close to figuring her out.

He'd come even closer before the first time they ever met and acknowledged her ledger doused in red. She imagined her hands drenched in it, quite like Lady Macbeth. Clint was understanding, but he didn't get her, even now more so. Her teenage self was like an open book, one she hoped nobody would read so deep into.

Green eyes studied her from a distance, trying to place the riddle together. Trying to figure her out.

And nobody was _ever _meant to figure her out.

* * *

**A/N: A slightly longer chapter then most. Thought you guys deserved it.**  
**Reviews are appreciated ;)**


	11. Do a little dance, make a little love

Natasha was forced into restless sleep in the week that followed. Her dreams consisted of tartan skirts, missing girls and emerald green eyes which seemed to gaze at her making her feel uncomfortable.

She would run through the school corridors shouting a name which felt foreign on her lips, spinning around to find a large pink bow, Alana's bow, seeping blood as it moved towards her. She ran as it grew, the silk sliding on the lockers leaving streaks of red.  
She ran up the stairs only to be confronted by the missing girls who all stared at her dazedly.

Natasha screamed as they reached bloodied hands out to her, their skin beginning to decay as they moved down the stairs towards her, murmuring Shakespeare.  
She spun around crashing into a tall figure whose hands engulfed her into an embrace. She closed her eyes and fell into it, her hands coming up to grasp at her comforter.

_"Well"_ a voice murmured in her ear _"They're only mortal anyway…"  
_  
Natasha glanced up into the face of the figure, hair dark as a raven flipping up at his shoulders, the emerald eyes piercing into her own, and the smile that did not reach them.

_"Loki_" she murmured backing away from the reformed man. He stood in his Asgardian armour, belts and leather encasing his stance. _"What are you doing here?"  
_  
The man raised an eyebrow, still grinning "_You crave me_"

He moved forward as she took another step back.

_"Do I?"_

_"Most certainly"_

He was on her, backing her against a locker; she could spy Clint over his shoulder shaking his head disappointingly, a piece of pizza in hand.

_"Clint?"_she called but cut off in a moan as Loki nipped her earlobe playfully. Her eyes fluttered pleasantly at the sensation

_"It's a shame you're mortal"_his voice whispered into her ear cruelly, and then he left, cape flying out behind him as he strode away, a crowd of girls following him holding posters of his teenage face and asking for autographs.

_"You look a little horny Tash"_ Tony said sliding next to her, he was also an adult arc reactor humming in his chest and beer bottle in hand  
"_It's a shame about"_ he looked her up and down _"You know"  
_  
Natasha looked down at her own body, stiff blouse and tartan skirt, she looked up again and all the Avengers stood in front of her returned to their adult forms and looking at her in sympathy before bloodied hands came around her body and pulled her back into an open locker which swung shut.

* * *

Natasha woke up, a cold sweat on her brow as she sat up with a gasp.

She groaned placing her hands into her face. She was used to nightmares, albeit kinds which involved her red ledger. The door to her room slammed open, Natasha jumped up before realising that her sheets were tangled around her legs.  
She fell to the ground in a heap.

"Oww" she moaned looking up through a curtain of red hair to the silhouette in the doorway which turned out to be the blonde Thunder God

"I am very sorry for startling you Natasha" Thor said moving towards her in his uniform, voice filled with concern as he helped her up "But I was only going to wake you, you seem to be running late"

"Knock Thor" she said quietly, still cringing where her knee had hit the floor "Next time knock please?"

Thor gave her an apologetic smile "You sound like my brother"

"I'm pretty sure she sounds like every other person on the planet" Tony's voice drawled from the doorway, they cast their eyes over to him, a cup of coffee in hand as he studied them "Remember last time Thor?"

The thunderer looked away sheepishly "Yes"

"Why what happened?" Natasha asked curiously

Tony laughed "Me and Pepper were having some alone time when big, blonde and dashing here barged in."

"I was most sorry" Thor answered looking ashamed "I only wished to know why his dining tie was bonded to the door's handle"

Natasha couldn't help the laugh which escaped from her mouth.

* * *

This wasn't supposed to happen. She definitely did not sign up for this.

And yet here she was, Monica gaping next to her as their eyes were affronted by glitter filled banners which hung through the hallways and posters taped to every free space of wall, covering those of the missing girls.

"Are we in hell?" Tony asked awestruck as he took in the sight

Steve gulped loudly, Banner seemed undeterred yet wistful.

"Nope, but your close" Monica chimed looking repulsed "Ugh social conventions are the worst"

Thor's eyes were narrowed as he read the banner "Spring…_Fling_? I am unfamiliar with this notion, is it some type of ritual?"

"It can be" Monica answered cocking her head "Rites of Passage for easy girls"

"So it is a mating ceremony?" Thor asked somewhat intrigued, Tony had to stifle a laugh; Natasha groaned inwardly as her purple haired friend looked at Thor as if she had only just seen him

"It's a dance, but that works to" she laughed cheerfully "where did you say you were from again?"

Thor was saved from answering by a shrill shriek of his cover name, and the approach of many girls Natasha remembered as being on the athletic teams and cheer squad.

"Theo!" a girl called, long auburn hair in a high ponytail, she wore the sports uniform which seemed to fit her as if she were walking a runway. She had a clip board in hand and was followed by a number of others who looked just the same.

"Jessica" Thor answered beaming as they stopped in front of him, all returning the smile eagerly "I hope you are well?"

"Absolutely" Jessica sang back, she looked flustered "Me and the girls were wondering if we could speak to you, in private?"

The girl looked at the rest of them as though they were a nuisance, Natasha rolled her eyes and grabbed Monica's arm dragging her down the hallway, Tony, Steve and Banner following.

"Ugh a dance" Natasha groaned "I'm not going to a dance"

"I second that" Tony replied behind her, Steve nodded in agreement and Banner just looked uninterested.

Monica had a bright smile scrawled across her face "Finally, sane students have come into my life! Dances are basically just social events meant to emphasise the popular from the lesser known student body. They're made by the popular, planned by the popular and conquered by the popular."

"We're popular" Tony murmured, making sure Monica could not hear

"Not now we aren't" Steve replied gloomily

"So we're in agreement then?" Natasha asked looking around at them "None of us are going right?"

The four of them nodded in agreement enthusiastically.

"We can go for pizza or something on the night?" Monica suggested thoughtfully "A sort of anti-fling?"

"Sounds good to me" the former Ironman stated with a shrug "Bonus points if we can schmooze some alcohol in"

"Dad's loaded" she replied with a flick of the hand, purple hair swishing with the movement "Alcohol is not a problem"

Tony looked as if he would fall to his knees and worship her like a saint "You are _the_messiah!"

"So I've been told" Monica answered lifting up her chin regally before laughing and dragging Natasha to first period gym, the others going on their separate ways.

They were paired into teams to play dodge ball, Natasha and Monica thankfully being placed on the same team.

"So now that the fling is happening" Monica said catching a ball and aiming it to a hulking guy who was hit on the shin "Everyone's going to forget about the disappearances huh?"

"What makes you say that?" Natasha asked dodging a red ball aimed at her chest by bending forward

"It's not as if anyone's bothering anymore" Monica called back panting as they ran backwards slightly to dodge a wild red ball, Natasha reaching out to catch it "Its been what? Three weeks since Alana's disappearance, and no leads, smells iffy to me"

"I'm sure someone is working on it" She replied red ponytail whipping her face as she sent the ball at Kristin who tripped over ungracefully as it hit her in the legs. The blonde glared at Natasha who mouthed a sarcastic apology, before dodging another ball. "5 girls just don't disappear"

"Unless they're already dead" Monica answered morbidly, catching another ball in an outstretched hand with a grunt "They should get the Avengers in on this shit"

"Oh?" Natasha answered pausing in her movement to study her new friend "What makes you say that?"

Monica shrugged "They always seem to stop the bad from being bad don't they? And besides I wouldn't mind me a Captain America or Norse God wandering around the corridors myself"

Natasha laughed at her friends waggling eyebrows before shoving her away from an oncoming ball "You perv!"

After a fierce battle with a jock, ending in tears on his part and cupping his erogenous zone bent over and groaning, the two girls together won the game.

* * *

Natasha looked up from her Greek salad, piece of feta and kalamata olive displayed on fork to fix her bewildered gaze on Thor who looked down at them cheerfully at their cafeteria table.

"I'm sorry, what?" Natasha asked trying with all her might to keep the poison out of her voice. If any was heard it obviously went right over the God's head.

"Nominated for King" he repeated brightly "For the dance, Jessica and her friends all seemed quite adamant on making me King. I think Father would be proud that my presence in this land is thought as royalty as well"

The attending Avengers and Monica all looked up at him as though insane

"When he says royalty…" Monica started but Natasha held up a hand to silence her, now was not a time to explain this, not with the growing headache anyway

"Do you really think that's okay Theo?" Banner asked hesitantly

"Of course" Thor answered confused by their reactions "My brother is also nominated"

Natasha dropped her fork, placing her face in her hands and willing herself not to scream

"Lo-Luke is nominated?" Steve stammered "When did you find out?"

"This morning in Mathematics class" Thor answered "Apparently some of his female classmates nominated him without his ascent, but he claimed that he would not disappoint them if they wished him to be King. Said some healthy competition is just what we needed."

Natasha peered through her fingers as everyone continued to stare at the thunderer.

"You will attend will you not?" he continued somewhat crestfallen "Support is always favoured among leaders"

"Of course we will Theo" Monica answered for everyone else, their glares turning on her and making the girl wince visibly, the smile kept in place though "Your friends won't abandon you in your time of need I'm sure"

"Why are you speaking like that?" Natasha murmured

"I can't help it" she hissed back as Thor beamed at the rest of them "His accent is infectious"

"It is agreed then!" Thor stated slamming a hand on the table and making everyone jump "We will attend this Fling of Spring and come home victorious!"

Everyone glanced around at each other wearily

"Yay" Natasha murmured as they lapsed into silence, the thunder god leaving to find sustenance. Tony ate his pasta silently before looking up suddenly, panic written across his face.

_"Does that mean no booze?"_

* * *

**A/N: Leonard, I'm sick...  
Darn you Australian weather, why you have to be so unpredictable?  
On a good note, a reason not to go to class. Bad note, I'm surrounded by a pile of used tissues. And a headache that feels like it was hit by Mjolnir.  
Sorry about the delay in any case. Still waiting for my currently favoured fanfiction to be updated (Dominoes and Dynamite) its been a week and a half since the last update and I'm dying. Its frostiron, but really good, not overdone, frostiron. So go ahead and check that out if its your cup of tea, guaranteed hours of reading.  
Reviews are love! Thanks for reading!**


	12. Hard Day's Night

The weeks that followed were as dull as ever, except for the exception of students passing around cookies with icing that read "Vote Jake for SK!" or muffins with choc chips placed into a signature K for Kennedy, a bubbly cheerleader; _o_r gymnast_,_ something to do with stretching your body into pretzels anyway.

Kristin, much to Natasha's distaste, was also running for Spring Fling Queen. No surprise there. As soon as the concept of a high school Queen came up Kristin had popped into her visionary.  
And so did the resident Asgardians when the word King came up. Natasha was afraid to admit that a certain young dark haired prince entered her imagination firstly, before mentally slapping herself and replacing him with a handsome, if slightly robust, god of Thunder.

She knows where her loyalty stands.

And it is not with the psychopathic Trickster.

That being said, the school was divided; you were either a Team Theo or a Team Luke. They were new, handsome, tall, accented, and the whole _sibling rivalry_ thing was absolute, salivating gold according to a bunch of senior girls Natasha overheard.

The other candidates didn't stand a chance

"So we need dresses" Monica commented at the lunch table, Natasha twirled a carrot stick in her fingers dully "Come on Nat, if we're going to this thing we've got to look good!"

"Moni has a point Nat" Tony chimed in with a small smile "I can see you in a big poufy ball gown, I'm thinking cashmere, pink satin, lacy trimmings…."

Natasha fixed him with a glare which made him stop dead in his tracks

"You know" he said after a small interlude where she turned back to twisting her carrot stick like she would one of her knives "Even though you're like this, you still seem to make my balls freeze with your glare"

"Be glad that's all I do" she murmured back throwing the carrot stick up in the air and catching it gracefully

"To think I thought you used to be cute" Tony murmured turning away to join into a conversation with Steve and Bruce who seemed to be comparing History notes. Steve had an unfair advantage, actually living in the era he was studying.

_Didn't he punch Hitler once?_ Natasha mused dolefully still playing with her carrots. It took her a moment to realise Monica was still addressing her.

"Hmm what?" she started fixing her eyes on the girls exasperated expression

"Dress" Monica supplied with a gesture of one hand, repeating with her other "Shopping. Dress shopping"

Natasha pursed her lips slightly thinking it over, buying a dress would actually admit having to go to this stupid charade of a dance. She wished she could throw on one of her own, worn but still sleek dresses she usually wore when needing to attend parties and functions. Unfortunately they would require a certain asset her now younger self did not acquire.  
She looked sadly down at her B cups.

"Fine" she gritted out through her teeth "Time and place, I'll be there"

Monica spurted out some high class mall and a date not too far in the distant future; Natasha consented with a small nod. The dance was looming ever closer, and the fact was time was passing quickly; it had been months since they had turned into teenagers, and yet Natasha was still grasping at ends to their mission.

Fury dragged them in again for a heated discussion as another girl had disappeared, this time one of the track girls. Natasha had left the meeting furious at letting herself get caught up in trivial teenage matters.

She had started staying late after school just to see if anything appeared out of the ordinary. She had told Monica she simply wished to study more in the library; her friend seemed unconvinced but did not press the subject. There had been a lot of things Natasha couldn't explain to Monica, and meaningful lies were used to cover up the truths.

"Here again?" a voice interrupted her guilty thoughts. She sat after school staring blankly at a page in her textbook in the library as she had been doing for the past week. She did not even have to look up to realise whom those dulcet tones belonged to. She closed her textbook with a small irritated sigh.

"You've been spying on me?" she retorted feeling his presence sit down casually in the chair beside her

"Of course not" Loki answered in a light manner making himself comfortable "Wouldn't want to trespass in your trade"

Her lips quirked, which seemed to illicit a chuckle from him.

"I'm trying to solve the stupid case" she admitted finally looking at him sideways, cursing herself for mentally thinking _'ooh so pretty!' _when assaulted by his startling green eyes.

He gave a small nod, and tapped his chin with a long pale finger as though an unspoken guess had been correct "Still no luck I take it?"

"No" she allowed with a small shrug

"If you need help all you need to do is ask"

"Help?" she asked incredulously raising a single eyebrow

_"Yes"_

"From the God of Lies and Mischief?"

"And Chaos" He intervened with a faraway look "Or evil to the more pessimistic. God of Fire even, though I haven't been called that in a long time, _I'll have to change that at some point…"  
_  
Natasha felt the conversation had escaped somewhat

"Look" she stated packing her book inside her bag hastily "Thank you for the offer, but I'm sure you have a lot on your plate being mischievous and chaos-ey"

Loki fixed her with a look, the one that said _'are you serious mortal?'  
_  
"I'm not nearly as occupied as I wish to be. In fact I've found myself growing bored of this whole high school farce"

"Right out of the horse's mouth" she muttered under her breath

"Why did Sleipnir say something?"

Now it was Natasha's turn to give him a look that clearly said _'are you serious, psychopathic immortal deity? _He gave her a small smile as though he understood what the look said word for word.

She returned it slightly before picking up her bag and swinging it over her shoulder; if it was an inch from hitting the trickster in the face, well,_ brownie points_.

Loki followed her as if a shadow from the library and into the poster ridden corridors. He did not make a sound as he traced her steps, and the light taps of her own shoes on the linoleum floors stifled the silence if ever so slightly. Neither spoke to each other, Natasha could not help but wonder what was going through the Gods head with her back turned to him.

She turned her attention to a poster stuck across a blank piece of wall and had to stifle a laugh.

Along with the Spring King and Queen nominations came the campaigning and propaganda, each nomination having their own little teams of teens to help make sure that their chosen runner would succeed in gaining votes. Posters were a must.

And it was _Loki's_ the former spy was looking at during this very moment.

The poster wasn't bad, but it looked like it belonged on one of those overly hipster Tumblr blogs Monica had shown her to reprimand and prove a point. The whole poster screamed sensitivity, peace and calm, which, if anyone knew the God of Chaos, was far from the truth.

The photo displayed had obviously been taken unaware during Loki's scheming time, as Tony had called it. He was just as Natasha had spied him before, sitting poised underneath the large oak in the courtyard, book in hand and wind rumpling his hair, it was all rather photogenic.

If the campaigners had stopped there Natasha wouldn't have needed to stifle a laugh which threatened to break the silence of the hallway, however, these were teenage girls with too much time on their hands. Someone had fiddled with the contrasts and brightness of the photo, and the Norse god appeared barely reminiscent of a character from a well-known, but extremely lame, vampire saga which shall remain unnamed.  
_And_ _was that glitter on the trickster's skin?_

The whole poster had been finished off with cursive words and a rather corny quote being placed in the cloud drawn sky just over Loki's shoulder. Natasha cringed at the attempt of being philosophical, she was sure everyone knew by now that if you were to place the word _angels_ in what aspired to be a meaningful sentence, it just comes off as lame.  
Obviously the memo hadn't gone through to Kristin and her minions, but then again, either way Natasha was sure that the posters wouldn't affect the Liesmith's votes.

The red haired assassin dared a glance back at the god and released her laugh as she saw the grimace light up his face as, he too, looked at the poster promoting his king ship.

"Oh I saw that!" Natasha sung spinning her head around to continue her process out of the school, another night without a trace of mystery. She could feel Loki's glare making holes into her back and she could not resist inciting it more "I think the posters are very…." She made an obvious attempt at sounding out words feeling his icy stare rise at every sound _"…Poetic?"  
_  
The god remained silent as they moved toward the exit and Natasha briefly wondered if she had stunted him, the ice slipping and deflating every step they took.

"Better then Thor's" he muttered solemnly, and Natasha laughed louder than before

Indeed the Thunder God's own campaigners had decided a more full on approach in their electoral decisions. Some of them had snuck into the boys locker rooms with cameras while the residential Aesir was changing from his gym clothes. This resulted with the halls being stuck with posters bearing a topless Thor and pretty much nothing else but his name and a plea to vote.

The Avengers had burst out into laughter as Monica had slammed the poster down onto the table, they could just spy Thor's face almost cut from view in the poster with a dumbfounded expression pasted on his face.  
The God himself was amused by the use of sexual appeal to gain votes and didn't seem in the least bit ashamed that his bared midriff was now flitting around the school. Natasha couldn't help but notice how these posters seemed to disappear from the halls and wondered silently if it were the teachers taking them down or that the school girls were stealing them for personal use.

If the poster Monica had slammed down on the cafeteria table that day had somehow managed to find its way back into the purple haired girls bag, well, Natasha wasn't about to call her on it.

Loki smirked at the laugh she emitted, echoing on the steel lockers as she pushed the doors open to step outside into the night air. She paused for a moment on the top step of the dais leading down into the path which lead to the school's gates, her laughter lingering slightly as she looked up at the sky.

The trickster made an incomprehensible noise in the back of his throat at her sudden hesitation.

"It got dark really quick" she commented with a small shrug before moving down the stairs, Loki following with a jaunt movement now in his step.

"Not afraid of the dark are we Natasha?" he practically purred, she snorted as gracefully as she could

"Usually I'm the one people have to be afraid of" she answered playfully, ignoring the flitter of her heart as she met his eyes again

Loki shared a dangerous smile with her, before it softened and he rounded his emerald eyes "That would sound a lot more threatening if not for the tartan skirt"

"Keeps them on their toes" she shot back

"Ahh yes, quite deceiving"

"I'm good at that"

"Indeed" he purred again, making her shiver pleasantly, and in a way she knew she shouldn't. Memories of working on the English assignment in such close vicinity with the god threatened her thoughts, she pushed those away cataloguing them into a folder of things she was never to mention or divulge. She had gotten an A, which was all she needed to remember.

She tried to distract herself from this with witty banter "Think about it, one moment innocent school girl, the next, unsheathing a bazooka from underneath my silly little skirt"

"Never judging a book…" he commented "That's the term you Midgardian's use, is it not?"

"You really need to stop with the whole _earth terms_ thing"

"I'm only trying to fit in, as you have suggested on numerous occasion"

"Oh is that why you're running for King?" Natasha asked now, she'd be lying if she said she wasn't a little curious to Loki's perspective of it all, the dark haired god just shrugged

"I cannot deny the people what they yearn for" he responded with a cheeky grin

_Yearning_, a voice called in the back of her mind, _that's something I'm familiar with._

"What makes you think they _yearn_ for you?"

Loki cocked his head slightly at the insinuation, as though offended by it before offering up a smirk "They seem to think I have _swag_"

Natasha caught herself on the odd use of word and blinked owlishly up at his tall figure, before erupting in her own smile and making her way through the gates, Loki still trailing behind her

"You've been talking to Monica" it wasn't a question, but it didn't stop the trickster from rolling his eyes exasperatedly

"I can honestly say without hesitation that _she_ does 95 per cent of the talking"

Natasha laughed once again with a small shake of the head as visions of her new friend interrogated and probably annoyed the god repeatedly to no end during their algebra classes, so much so she seemed to miss Loki's spoken question.

"Pardon?" she asked spinning around as they reached the pedestrian walk way, cars streaming frequently down the road to their right.

"I said" he repeated somewhat annoyed "Why aren't you running for queen?"

Natasha frowned at the question, toying with the idea that the god of lies was mocking her before realising that not a hint of venom or play was in his voice or the expression scrawled on his face, obviously conveying that he thought it a serious question.

She gave him a small smile, it was in these times he was rather reminiscent of his foster brother.

"Because" she answered finally, spinning around to head down the pathway away from both the school and the trickster "People don't _yearn _for me"

When thinking back on this occurrence she was sure that the trickster god had replied to this statement, voice muffled by a sudden harsh wind. Believing it was either sly or mocking, and predictable from the boy's mouth, Natasha had refused to listen, continuing her brisk walk back to the Avengers manor.

* * *

**A/N:** I am so, so, so sorry for the delay of this chapter!  
I've been extremely busy so whenever I got home, I would just read already written FFs and they would take up most of my spare time. I have a couple of days off this week though, so, I think I'm just going to buckle down and finish the rest of the story and upload during the next few weeks. Otherwise there's just going to be to many pauses for me to handle.  
I did actually write this chapter a week ago, and then I forgot to save it (really stupid, I was using an opened email file so autosave couldn't help me) and I lost about four pages of work and a lot more plot development. I chucked a fit and refused to write.  
_"I'm in a raaaaagee! This is the angriest I've ever beeeen!"_  
So I've basically now split that into two chapters so stay tuned as another Avenger is reformed back into an adult. Any guesses?  
I thank you for your patience and lovely reviews!  
I read FF, I know what its like to wait for a new chapter. Empathy dear ones!


	13. Bags of Cats

The night air of Manhattan was filled with noise, piercing the air with increasing hostility. The sound of drunken yells, traffic, broken glass and the never ending sirens forced its way into people's ears most unforgivingly.

In the vast city everyone got lost.

The girls who had gone missing were just a minimum majority of those who went missing every day, the only difference being that these girls had come from wealthier and more pristine backgrounds then others.

There was unfairness to it all.  
The fact that people had different amounts of worth in everyday society; some counted for more than others born of privilege instead of hard work others put in.  
Natasha was reminded of Russia where she was just one amongst thousands in her home town, how she had to prove herself in order to become the woman she was now….or at least, not long ago.

New York had a lot of crime hidden inside every crevice, around every building, and she along with the Avengers was meant to mute them, making a difference and helping those in need.

The newspaper headlines were strewn with comments about the sudden disappearance of the dynamic team, Fury had sent Clint out a couple of times just to be glimpsed and squash rumours that the group had disbanded. People would notice the surge in crime despite this, and though Clint was doing the best he could solo, there was still a rising case of disorder ridden in the city.

Natasha pulled the straps of her backpack as they began to cut into her skin, she kicked an empty can along the pavement like a bored child, hearing it skitter away, joining to the symphony of the city night.

_Chaos_; she thought dully, _pure and utter chaos, and whom was the catalyst?_

Green eyes and raven hair filled her vision. The man, or boy she supposed, that she had spoken to not ten minutes before.

The God of Chaos.

She groaned thinking about their small bickers and playful banter, each time she assumed she would move further away from the god, there he was again, making her squirm, and not uncomfortably either.

If anyone had passed in their conversations no doubt they would think of it as flirting.

_Flirting!_Natasha scowled at the ground, angry at herself. Her older self would always use flirting to get information, to gain favour, but to actually use it upon a known enemy? And have no reason as to why? It was beyond her usual grounds of thinking.

_This was all Loki's fault.  
_  
The first time she had laid eyes upon him she knew he would be a dangerous adversary in future; mind controlling Clint, leading an army, killing Coulson, almost gaining leadership of the Earth, and all along with that same smile that threatened to crack the borderline of insanity.

As though he thought it great fun.

The same air did not cease even once escaping from Asgard, wreaking havoc upon Midgard, helping other enemies to have their way; he was everything the Avengers were fighting against, the embodiment of destruction, mischief, evil and revenge

But just as Loki could see Natasha and her past, she could also see his.

The ledger would just not stop dripping red no matter what they did.

While Natasha sorts to quench hers, Loki left his gaping and bleeding.

He was the one to sow the seeds of discord; it was his birth right.  
...And yet, sometimes, when the God thought no one was looking on the battlefield, or in fight, he would look as if he were in immense pain.  
That insane grin dropping for just a moment as he looked around and really saw what he had done, the smile decreasing a fraction and the confusion entering his vision as though he couldn't believe what he had made, how much destruction he had given birth to; a slight glimmer of resent and utter disappointment in his own actions.

And then it would disappear, his eyes lighting once again, to bright and wide to be called natural, his teeth bared, smiling in the face of it all, resolute to ignore anyone but himself and his own wants.

He thought no one could see, but the red haired assassin was trained to catch everything, always observant and always acknowledging, but never revealing.

Perhaps there were some similarities between them after all; or perhaps Natasha was thinking to deeply into what could only be called the bag of cats which was the Tricksters mind.

There was a story behind it all, just like hers, but his Thunder God of a brother would not divulge what he assumes is Loki's own story to tell. Natasha often wondered if Thor was just as blind and naïve to his brother's motivations as the rest of the world was, there was obviously some moral of the story Loki was trying to teach Thor, but Thor really could never understand his little brothers gaits of mischief.

Which was probably why Loki allowed Thor to speak to him now.  
Natasha wasn't the only one to notice Loki's apparent easiness around them, and the brother he usually ignored completely on great lengths, as though the game he had constructed was put on hold in their de-aged forms.

As though he honestly wished he and his brother were at this age again, no bad blood between them.

_Whatever it was_, Natasha thought with a snort turning a corner, _it was their business_.  
She recalled what Loki had said on the first day of being a teenager, and interrogated by Fury.

_"As soon as the spell wears off we can go back to our sparring ways none the wiser"  
_  
Was there a hidden meaning behind this statement?

Natasha was cut off from pondering this when a voice entered her already clogged mind, startling her in a way which would only make her older-self cringe.

She spun around, arms coming out to defend or attack, before swiftly dropping her arms at the figure approaching her slowly.

A wizened old woman, hair or grey and stained with dirt that made it certain she had been sleeping in the gutter for quite some time. A large gash, healed over in time, lined her forehead, scarring the wrinkled skin which sat there.  
Natasha felt her insides crumble in sympathy, she was reminded of her own Baba when she was just a young girl back in Russia; her Baba had looked after her until the day she died.

She was the first person Natasha could ever recall crying for.  
This also meant Natasha had a lot of respect to her seniors, and gave the small homeless woman a bright smile.

"Pardon?" she asked, not being able to hear the woman at first

"I know you" the woman repeated loudly again stepping closer to Natasha and gripping her arm

"I don't think so" Natasha grimaced slightly as the woman clawed at her, making the Russian spy uncomfortable and perform a calming mantra in her head so she didn't flip the lady over her shoulder "Sorry"

The woman looked at her with greying eyes, really looked at her and Natasha could practically smell the craziness sweeping off the aging lady "I know you!"

"I really think you're mistaken" she replied calmly, trying to decide whether to humour the woman, or try to get away as fast as she could "Perhaps you're thinking of someone else?"

The spinster's grip tightened even further making her gasp as she the volume of her voice lifted "I'm not supposed to be here!" she exclaimed, voice wavering and hands shaking "This isn't where I'm supposed to be!"

Natasha tried to process these words "Alright you're not meant to be here" she repeated, maintaining the coolness in her voice, thankful that the woman had finally let go of her, slowly but surely looking up at her the glimmer of dementia re-entering her eyes fully "Is there a hospital you're meant to be staying at? Family you're meant to be with?"

The lady continued to stare speechlessly at Natasha who felt herself shift under the gaze before the woman cracked a rather wide smile, as though a child in a candy store.

"Needs eggs" the woman commented wisely, before petting Natasha slightly on the arm and turning away to toddle back down the empty city street.

Natasha watched her go, immobile and speechless before continuing her journey back to the manor, thinking to bring a spare sandwich to offer the woman next time she passed by, perhaps she may even be able to coax the woman into a shelter. It's what her Baba would have done.

* * *

"Ugh, old people" Monica commented the next day at school, leaning against the locker adjacent to Natasha's. She had filled in her new friend about it and found herself laughing at the reaction it entailed.

"What's wrong with old people?" she inquired with a smirk, eagerly awaiting Monica's answer which would no doubt be both reasonless and beyond the point.

"They're just so…" Monica made a weird hand gesture, as though trying to grasp for the words before settling on a singular syllable "_Old."  
_  
"Everyone gets old" Natasha chastised slamming her locker and leaning against it, it would be coincidence the dark haired immortal chose to pass by them right now, a gaggle of girls following as he did so. _Well, mostly everyone.  
"_Yes" Monica allowed with a thoughtful nod "But I'm going to be a cool old person, not a shred of tea cosy or cat to be seen in sight! All technology, all the time!"

"You sound like Tim" Natasha replied, images of Tony Stark entering her head "You could be the eldest blogger ever"

Monica gasped excitedly grasping her hands together "I could be the senior Troll! That's it; they have to start giving out awards for shit like this!"

"The future is going to be a very bleak place…"

"Yeah, but the internet won't!"

Natasha gave up at this point with a small shake of her head. If she ever managed to make it to old age, seeing as her job description suggested a low mortality rate, she would surely be happy sitting in an old retirement home, knitting tea cosy's and painting doily's with a cat curled up on her lap. She could die of old age; pass peacefully instead of swiftly and violently.

Admitted the thought seemed to foreign to her to even be believable.

How was it that her newly teenaged self was far more perceptive of her own feelings and opinions then her older self? Again, she would just have to scratch it up to hormones.

"Oh, my, _god_" Monica gasped suddenly, breaking Natasha from her thoughts as she fumbled in her pockets and pulled out a phone "No way, _no way_!"

"What?" Natasha asked urgently "What is it!?"

Monica didn't answer, instead looking beyond Natasha's shoulder and guffawing at something, holding up her phone in front of herself to record.

It didn't take long for the former spy to acknowledge the rising squealing of girls both junior and senior, as a very naked, and very Adonis-like man ran up the hallway, covering his privates with a book bag as the high school girls tore after him, screeching his name; a man who could only be recognised and named thusly as Captain America.

Natasha's own jaw dropped as he ran past them _(nothing to do with the fact that Steve had a perfectly chiselled body. This was her excuse and she was sticking to it)_through the exits at the end of the hallway and out of sight, Monica made to follow dashing away in a flurry of purple and plaid.

_Not good_, Natasha thought running her fingers through her red hair and looking around to see if she could find another Avenger to confide with.  
She strolled down the hallway quickly, careful not to trip in any saliva a passing girl was sure to have spilt.

* * *

**A/N:** Once I start getting to deep into Loki's head, it's always really hard to get out. So many feels, so little time.  
Ahh a couple of questions I should answer;

**Why wasn't Tony nominated?**  
I''m going to say Tony doesn't really give a shit about high school, I imagine theres a lot of assholery on his part to fellow students. And I believe he also skips class a lot to stare at liquor catalogues, means he doesn't get to socialise. Perhaps he talks to JARVIS on a Stark phone xD

**Whats taking so long with the LokiXNatasha?  
**I thrive on plot development guys. No wham bam thank you mam in my stories.

That's all I'm going to say, and hopefully I'll have the next chapter up by this weekend ;)  
(I'm going to a club called Teen Spirit, coincidence? _I think not_!)


	14. Here's my list of demands

"C'mon Steve it wasn't that bad"

"Go away" came the muffled response

"It's happened to the best of us!"

"If you're what's best in this day and age Tony" Steve mumbled in anguish through the door "Someone please throw me back into the Artic"

The Avengers stood and crowded in the corridor right outside Steve Roger's rooms. The man had hovelled himself inside his bedroom since before their return. They were still slightly clueless on how he even mentioned to get back to the mansion.

The school had been in uproar, but Steve had managed to escape the authorities after making a naked dash out of the school gates, fortunately that's where the teachers were able to halt the girls giving chase. Male teachers also had to hold back a couple of unruly female ones.

There were rumours drifting through the corridors about who the mystery man was, many only basing it on second hand accounts, and blurry photographs. The overall impression however _was_that Captain America, leader of the Avengers, had indeed been slipping over linoleum in their school hallways.

Students either believed the claims, or they based it on overactive imaginations, but none knew for certain.

"I was more interested in that fine ass then his face to be honest" Monica told the Principal brazenly when asked to make witness.

_Bless her_. Even her video footage was too blurred with movement to make out, but she took great pains in getting close ups of the man's below the belt features.

"My, my body is going to be all over that, that internet gadget!" Steve managed to stammer loudly through the door "I've never been so humiliated…."

"Calm down Steve" Bruce commented now, a slight touch of amusement in his voice "They can't even prove it was you, nobody will know, and if anything surfaces on the net, SHIELD will take care of it"

"I'll know!" came the muffled response

Natasha bit her lip and joined Clint on the floor leaning against the wall. Not hours before the incident, _as Steve chose to put it_, happened, Natasha had made a dash for any surrounding Avengers and finding both Thor and Bruce looking quite dumbfounded and bemused to what had just occurred.

Bruce had given an explanation as both Thor and himself had been there when Steve had chosen to reform into his highly enlarged adult self.

Apparently some jocks had taken to bullying both Steve and Bruce when no one else was watching, Natasha would have commented on this hidden fact if not for the hypocrisy she would face being in the same position. The jocks had pushed Bruce against the locker and taken away Steve's belongings scattering them across the floor and demanding that he clean up the mess.

By the sounds of it this had happened on more than one occasion, that or Bruce was really just very unconcerned with it all.

Thor had appeared when it had happened and demanded that the jocks return Steve's possessions immediately. This had led to a very heated argument where Thor had used many elaborate insults, the words _witling, hircismus_ and even _filthy bung_making a sordid appearance.

If these were enough to have Natasha pausing and scraping for Google, she couldn't help but wonder if the jocks had suffered brain aneurisms.

_Anyway_, Bruce had gone on to explain that the jocks had started threatening Thor, and Thor being the brash princeling he was had retaliated with even larger threats which had very little meaning on Midgard but nonetheless managed to get the message across.  
They had attacked, Thor did the same, Steve grew angry and restless about how defenceless he had become, threw a punch at a surprised jock and then _poof_.

_Captain America_, reformed and steaming in his naked glory had punched the jock out cold.

Fortunately they were in a non-crowded part of the school and the other jocks were in the middle of detaining the resident God of Thunder to notice the transformation. With any luck the jock that had been knocked down would have no recollection of the belated event.

Last Natasha heard the kid was still unconscious and handling a blackening bruise on his left cheek. _Sucker._

They had called Fury after the discussion and he had sent SHIELD cars to pick them up and send them back to the manor where no doubt Steve Rogers would be hiding himself under his bed and in need of a good consolation speech.

It didn't help that Loki had laughed in mirth at the school gates as they climbed into their sent rides.

It took the rest of the evening to finally coax Steve out of his bedroom, Fury making an appearance and appearing rather grateful that another Avenger had been returned to their rightful form.

Natasha scowled at her own serving of Bolognese that Clint had prepared, jealousy and envy writhing around in her unpleasantly. So close, yet so far.

The archer seemed to notice her growing resentment and took to trying to cheer her up over the course of the next few days. She was thankful for the distractions, but it only did little good.

Some magazines and newspapers had managed to grab copies and blurred footage of the whole incident, _"Captain America? Or Captain Sh-america?"_and other corny puns lined the headings.

"Man you got front page of the Bugle!" Tony had cawed shoving the paper in front of Steve's breakfast of scrambled eggs and bacon "Look at the profiling, woo!"

Steve had hauled himself back in his room for the rest of the weekend; all of the Avengers had taken it in turns to slap Tony over the back of his head. Thor was a little too rough and Stark ended up landing face first in his bowl of cereal.

"Asthma attack" Natasha had answered upon Monica's inquiries about where Stan, aka Steve, had disappeared to "Really bad, he's been sent back to Omaha to recuperate with his parents"

"Oh no" Her friend had commented, small frown creasing her usually speculative face "I should send a get better card"

"I'm sure it would be very much appreciated" she replied with a smile. Monica over the course of the few months they had been at Marsden, had grown very much as a friend with the other Avengers, always joining them at their table, making playful banter with Stark, she was just an overly likable person.

Bruce had commented on the girl's own interference when catching the jocks' behaviours against them. Natasha felt smug pride that she was able to attain a friend such as Monica all by herself.

"You forgot about Saturday" Monica commented now, the unfamiliar frown still not leaving her face

"Saturday?"

"Dress shopping, for the fling? Remember?"

Natasha felt an upsurging of guilt flush through her "Monica, I'm _so _sorry, I totally forgot!"

"Yeah kind of got that when you didn't respond to my 20th text"

"I didn't look at my phone all weekend…" she replied quickly, thinking up excuses "Just after Ste.. ahh.. Stan and the whole breathing issue, my mind was just…"

"Occupied" Monica sighed, understanding flooding her voice "Still it would have been nice for a heads up"

"We can still do it!" Natasha cried at her friends crestfallen features "Today, after school! No excuses!"

"You don't have to study?" Monica asked hope lifting her voice but still appearing wary, she had noticed Natasha's efforts to appear in the library after school every single day. Natasha sometimes felt the truth tipping on the edge of her tongue, to explain to her only female friend that she was in fact skulking around looking for clues in the school to the whereabouts of the missing girls. Common sense stopped her.

Monica was an innocent, if she knew the truth, who knew what she would do with the information. Natasha found it very hard to trust others then herself, years of coming across apparently defenceless and harmless civilians hiding under false disguises had distorted her perspectives of others. She knew Monica was just a simple high school girl, but being involved in the Black Widow's true purposes would only lead to danger and trouble. She had learnt from her mistakes.

"No" Natasha answered with final clarity at her friends assumption "Studying can be put on hold, for one day at least"

One day couldn't do any harm, could it?

"Squee!" Monica said in response, clapping her hands together a couple of times, all signs of displeasure wiped from her face as they continued down the mid-crowded corridor "I know the perfect place, I hope your card is loaded because we are going shopping like total divas. I'm thinking Madam Tudor's, or maybe _Belissimo_…"

Natasha kept a small smile on her face and nodded half-heartedly along with Monica's shopping selections, only breaking off when a voice commented snidely and broke the girls ramblings. Natasha knew that poncy, self-righteous voice from anywhere and immediately connected it together with platinum blonde hair and overdone eye make-up.

"What is this?" Kristin interrupted in her sugar sweet voice tinged with a side of rat poison, her usual pack of seemingly resemblant girls flacked her sides as usual "Correct me if I heard wrong, but did I not just hear plans to go dress hunting from the outcasts of Marsden"

A collective snigger ran through the group making Natasha bristle.

"Kristin, your tacky perfume is making me choke" Monica returned with a wave of her hands as though pushing at something in the air "Seriously, do you just drown yourself in the essence of _Skank_, or is that a born trait?"

Natasha couldn't help the choking laugh that left her mouth, placing a hand up to smother it. Kristin looked at Monica in distaste as though something bad had been left under her unnaturally perfect nose and left to rot.

"It's Dior" the girl huffed straightening herself and flicking a blonde strand over her shoulder with a flourish "But I wouldn't expect _you_ to know that. Perhaps you're used to tacky knock offs from the street urchin's your father continues to marry. What was the last one, _Amanda_?" the girl asked in mock ignorance, not waiting for an answer  
"_A former exotic dancer_. Well I suppose she was used to money being thrown at her; a divorce with your father must have seemed like a walk in the Bronx. I wonder what _your _mother is Winter's"

Natasha fumed as she caught the undeniable wet sheen appear in her purple haired friends eyes. She scowled angrily as another chorus of giggles and sniggers erupted in front of them.

"What do you want Kristin?" Natasha growled, grabbing Monica's arm she could feel shaking underneath her hands

"Me?" the girl asked placing a manicured hand above her breast "Why should I want anything, while I have everything? I'm just leaving some advice with those of lesser background"

Kristin moved forward stopping less than a meter away from Natasha who could feel her hands wringing and willing to shove into the girls pouting mouth and rip out whatever they managed to grab hold of.

_Don't,_one voice told her.

_Not like this_, a voice piqued up

_Not yet_, another one coincided

"Tell me you want my advice Rushman" Kristin demanded haughtily "Tell me you want me to tell you the truth you just can't seem to be able to absorb through that blood nut head of yours"

Natasha scowled at her, a part of her amused that the girl had remembered her last name, another angered by the superior tone of command. She already had enough egotistical bullshit around her; she certainly didn't need another, much less aesthetically pleasing once to boss her around.

_But Kristen is sixteen, and you are a responsible adult.  
_  
"Please" Natasha managed to grit out through her teeth "Tell me"

_Get your obnoxiously foul face away from me_

Kristin gave a little laugh in amusement, malicious smirk quirking her lips as she moved slightly away

"You are nothing. You can never be anything. You are blindingly plain it makes me want to puke over my Jimmy Choos. You think you have something just because your able to talk to some of the hottest boys in the grade, but they don't truly want to know you, you probably sicken them as much as you do the rest of us" Kristen explained contritely and to the point "I'd think twice about going to the dance if I were you. You are not wanted, you are too much of a frigid to attend, and we think it's just _really_ _sad_"

_One day_, Natasha thought brimming with fury as she continued to listen, _in the not too distant future, I am going to knock all the teeth from your stupid duck face mouth  
_  
"When I am crowned Spring Queen" Kristin continued her smile to straight and plastic "I will personally make sure your reputation is decreased to nothing."

"Why?" Natasha couldn't help but ask, wrinkling her nose in revulsion "Why are you such a freaking_ bitch_?"

Kristin gave another twinkling laugh and turning away from them "Because, losers like yourself and Winter's don't really belong"

_Is this because of Loki? _Natasha couldn't help but ponder, _Are you jealous because we're on seemingly friendly terms? Are you just involving Monica because she's friends with me?_

All questions she wished to interrogate the girl with, all of utter importance to Natasha as the high reigning bitch led her gaggle of friends away.

Monica turned to Natasha crossing her arms over her chest, any trace of tears extinguished from her face.

"So dresses" she stated determinedly at the red head "After school, yes?"

Natasha glowed with pride at her friend's refusal to succumb to the bimbo girl's leering insinuations.

She gave a sharp nod and smile in return "Oh there is no force alive to stop me from attending that dance now"

If Hi-5's were considered lame they obviously didn't care in that instance.

Natasha gave another grin, this one slightly more sinister then the last "I have a plan"

* * *

The God of Mischief had pretty much jumped from his seat startled by Natasha's sudden appearance in the sanctuary of the school library. He growled angrily as he was thrown forwards over the library table roughly by the Widow's hands.

She grabbed his arms and spun them around roughly so he could not manoeuvre them into a comfortable position. She was all too aware that he would be able to throw her into the book shelf with a single lunge or flick of his hands, but he seemed genuinely surprised at her sudden hostility.

He didn't struggle even as she had him pinned and hunched over the table, his cheek rubbing against polished wood.

"Natasha" he purred, not able to keep the amusement out from the sudden predicament "To what do I owe the pleasure of being singularly sought out by you? And _I thought_I was behaving so well considering…"

She silenced him by shoving a hand against the back of his scalp, entangling her fingers into the silky black locks and digging his cheek into the desk even more, making him hiss uncomfortably.

"I need a favour" Natasha proclaimed lightly

"Well if you needed my attention you have gained it" he commented slyly, even though she could not see his face Natasha knew he was smiling "All you have to do is ask..."

"Oh, you have no choice whatsoever in the matter" she replied in what she hoped was a confident leering voice, he remained silent at the sudden dismissal of choice nonetheless. "You will do what I tell you to do, understood?"

No answer, and then a small noise in the back of his throat which she could only assume as confirmation. She released him quickly and moved away as he managed to stand upright regaining his usual proud stance and leaning against the desk. He rubbed his handsome jawline which was still not quite as defined as his older self's one was.

He cleared his throat, his dark locks misplaced on his head but his face set into a regal manner Natasha knew from years of being trained of royal duties and discussing politics and negotiations through the years.

"What is it you want?" he asked clearly voice lilting ever so slightly in curiosity, she answered with a forcedly bright smile

"To take me to the Spring Fling" she replied under false cheerfulness

"I.." Loki started his forehead creasing slightly in confusion as he mulled her words "_What?"_

"I _demand_you go to the dance with me" she repeated with more force, clear and defined.

There was no way for him to say no, no way was he going to take her vengeance away from her, she would make sure of that.

What Natasha didn't expect of him however was to make no rebuttal, no refusal. Instead the trickster looked upon her at first bewildered, and then slowly a broad smile seemed to creep up his charming face.

"Well then" he answered in his most suave voice, tinged with promises and secrets that sent shivers up Natasha's spine; his emerald eyes were twinkling with unknown mischief "I do like a girl who knows what she _wants"_

* * *

**A/N: **Well then _:sits back pleasantly pleased at this chapter:_ go Natasha!

Reviews make me write faster... and the apocalypse, but I think I've got another couple of years till then.


	15. Juice makes you feel Loose

Slips of fabric fell from Monica's hands and onto the crimson carpet lined throughout the entire boutique. The patches of lace and satin fell to a crumple of periwinkle blue silently as Natasha's friend continued to gape openly at her confession, her contacts were the colour of unnatural hazel as they remained wide eyed.

_Cue crickets._

Natasha turned away not being able to smother a smirk that came to her lips as she fumbled the hangers and clothing from the nearest stack. Running her hands gently along expensive fabric she knew would take a good wad of cash to buy. At least her pay roll was extremely well cared for, working with SHIELD did have its benefits, of course that was probably because her job entitled her to risk her life each time she took a breath.

Monica made a noise behind her between a croak and the sound of a half strangled cat, Natasha paid no heed for it, pulling out a dress and placing it against her body to study in the closest reflection. Easy enough when all the walls of the shop were basically mirrors.

They had passed a number of shops, and flicked through numbers of dresses both stunning and skimpy, but Natasha saw nothing which truly caught both her adult self and younger self's attention.

A year ago Natasha would have looked good in any of these dresses; she had all the right curves to simply make each outfit her own. As a teenager everything seemed too extravagant, to mature that they did not seem to leave the impression she desperately wished to leave.

Monica made another attempt at speech and failed abysmally.

"I'm thinking black" Natasha commented placing the sunshine dress back on the rack with a small grimace "Or maybe plum, something dark, dark is always flattering…"

The insinuation seemed to jump some sensation back into the girl who gawked, a quick shake of the head and a slow smile ended the trance.

"No, it should be green" Monica answered slyly "Like your _boyfriend's_eyes"

"Not my boyfriend" she replied lightly, pointing a finger at her friend seriously "Just my date, to the dance, one single event and then we're done"

A laugh answered this

"Natalie you're such a _spazz._" Monica exclaimed, taking her by the shoulders and giving her a slight shake "The guy you've been in a love-hate fantasy, for as long as I've known you, has agreed to take you to the social event of first semester! And may I just point out that at the moment he, along with his brother, are the two most highly desired guys in our school! God, I can't wait to see Kristin's overdone face!"

Natasha grinned before making their way out of the shops front doors. She had a plan, it may be absolutely selfish and shallow no doubt, but it was the best way to enact revenge when one couldn't just simply smear blood and blonde extensions up the school corridor. Loki knew he was being used, but if he had any say in the game play as he did, he would use this to his advantage.

_And never let it go._Natasha realised dully, the creeping of doubt again rising in her.

Hopefully Loki would have the decency to not have this incident hanging over her head on the battlefield in future, or worse, having Tony Stark dangle it from a fishing line for all to see. She could already imagine all the jeering; the taunts and teases aimed her way each time the name of the Trickster was mentioned.

_Innuendoes_, Natasha thought with an inward groan, _Stark was full of them._

"Why do you look so bummed?" Monica exclaimed noticing her red headed companion's ever fouling mood, her hands waving in front of her as they continued down the shopping strip "You and Luke, Luke and you!"

"There is no me and Luke" Natasha replied trying to keep the impatience out of her voice "This is just a rather unfortunate precaution to getting what I want!"

_Wow, did she just take a leaf out of Loki's book or what?_

"_A rather unfortunate precaution_" her friend mimicked in an unnaturally high voice, blowing her tongue out unattractively with a shake of her purple mane "Unfortunate precaution my ass. _Superbly hot and steaming _precaution sounds more like the predicament you're in my dear"

"Well…" Natasha mused, another grin forming on her face "That's just a bonus"

* * *

Natasha practically flew from her bed and hit the ceiling, her hand scrabbling around for the knife she knew to be hidden behind the head board. The door to her rooms had been flung open with a might crash, a jeering roar followed this just as she was blinking harshly against the sudden light.

She was blinded, half asleep and disorientated that it was no use when arms larger then hers closed down around her, and swung her in 360° circles.

It was of the familiar smell of soap and spice, along with blonde hair whipping her in the face, that she realised it was Thor.

"Lady Romanov!" he jeered making her cringe with the formality he would sometimes find himself slipping back into "My brother has told me the wonderful news!"

_Shit,_ Natasha cursed, if she had any inclination in keeping the whole thing a secret it had surely gone out the window just as Tony had when Loki, _her date_, threw him from it.

"That remains to be decided" Natasha gasped as his arms crushed against her "If Loki managed to….wait, _are you drunk?"_

The familiar smell assaulted her senses as the Thunder God placed her back on her bed in a heap, she shock out a stand of red hair from her face reaching across to turn on the lamp so she may see her subject in better light.

Sure enough there stood Thor looking down at her, blonde hair mussed, cheeks a blotchy red and eyes slightly tearful.

"My brother deserves love!" he exclaimed bringing up a hand to smear the tears, his familiar beaming smile contrasting heavily against it "I fear he has not felt a woman's touch in sometime"

_Highly doubtful.  
_ "Thor, I'm only going to ask this once" Natasha stated moving her hands gently in front of her "_Where_ did you get the alcohol? And _where_ is _Tony_?"

Thor's smile didn't seem to fade as he took Natasha's hand and led her from her rooms and into the elevator, where they stood awkwardly in a strained silence, Thor sniffling like an old crock at a wedding.

_Holy crap,_Natasha groaned, just what had she gotten herself into?

The elevator's opened to a blast of noise, AC/DC bursting through unseen speakers that threatened to burst her eardrums. She just heard JARVIS speaking gently overhead to what she was sure would be the ever-deteriorating form of Anthony Edward Stark. Sure enough Stark was in the midst of hauling himself off a balcony, Bruce behind him trying to coax him back in.

"Tony, please, think for a moment…"

"Take away my suits…" Tony shouted back arms flapping like a bird on each side "I'm Ironman god dammit!"

Natasha practically ran forward just as the boy started tipping over the railing, Thor stumbled after her. She ran forward, Bruce stepping away as she grabbed the scruff of the billionaire's collar and hauled him away with minimal force.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" she all but screamed as he scuttled around on the floor like a crab "Have you gone completely insane?! _JARVIS turn that crap off_!"

JARVIS followed her order immediately; she could basically hear a relieved sigh from the A.I as Bruce along with Thor hauled Tony off the floor and back into the common room, throwing him on the couch with a small flourish.

Tony immediately tried to get back up again but Natasha pushed him back down with one of her legs, he retaliated by flapping his arms waywardly "Sorry Tash, don't want your Prince of Darkness to think I'm taking advantage"

She shot a despairing look at Thor who still looked way too pleased with himself to even be considered sober. She spied the many empty bottles and disposable shot glasses on the counter.

"_Where_did you get those?" Natasha demanded pointing a finger at the cabinet where the evidence of their carnage lay "Who got those for you?"

There was a heavy silence following these questions before she looked to Bruce imploringly who looked slightly flushed but closer to sober by a mile then the other two. She wished Steve was here to witness this; he'd be a lot more threatening in this situation, being a mother hen and all.

"Tony found sources…" Bruce answered slowly

"Oh I'm sure he did" that was all she needed to hear "And you and Thor encouraged this? You do realise that Tony has returned to the metabolism of a teenage boy, who has probably never had this much alcohol in all his life? We're exactly as we were back when we were this age remember?"

Tony leaned over to spew in front of himself on the lush carpet; he groaned and coughed up bile "I'm never drinking again" he rasped to which Natasha gave a mirthless bark of laughter.

"Once Fury hears about this, he'll make sure of it" she snapped

"Oh yeah?" Tony asked eyes bleary and blood shot, throat probably still tingling from the effects of absinthe and vomit "What do you think he'll do once he finds out you're being escorted to _La Spring Fling_with Mr Psychopath?"

Natasha bit the inside of her lip, glaring at the man turned boy with purest loathing, he managed a chuckle winking "Don't worry Wilma, your secret is safe with me as long as you don't tell Fury, or Steve for that matter, about my personal Oktoberfest, okay?"

Natasha glared at him for a few more moments, her temple throbbing for an oncoming migraine as she thought it over. She should really tell Fury about this, this couldn't happen again, but the look on his face if he ever found out that she was attending a chaperone dance with their number one enemy was just too much to bear. He'd think she was compromised, that alone could endanger her future with SHIELD.

"Fine" she gritted out coming to a decision "But no more booze parties"

_Unless I'm invited_, was the unspoken statement.

"Gotcha" Tony said with a clumsy nod and hand waving gesture as he lifted himself dozily from the couch "Now if you excuse me, I'm going to puke out whatever I have left in my systems, if I don't return by morning, it probably means I've regurgitated my lungs and viscera. Good day to you!"

It would have been an impressive speech if he didn't keep knocking into things on the way out of the room. Natasha threw herself into a single couch with a sigh, Bruce stood silently staring at the pool of vomit left behind, Thor was still smiling at her growing from endearing to oddly creepy.

"It's just a dance Thor" frustration lining her voice "I'm not sure if that means we're married in Asgard of whatever, but here it means one night, no touching, no doe eyes and whispered sentiments. Just the music, the spiked punch and paper chain explosions, got it?"

"It is appreciated nonetheless that a dear friend of mine should help my brother in his time of need" Thor answered pleased by some unknown force "Back in Asgard he never seemed to actually show any interest of the maidens who wished his courting, he often sought excuses to evade what Mother liked to call, an investment into the future of Aesir. He seems quite taken with you"

"Pretty sure it's because I'd as soon as pull a knife on him" Natasha answered with a small grin "Besides here Loki's very popular, all the girls are on their hands and knees for him"

Thor hummed thoughtfully his eyes still showing effects of the alcohol, she wondered if his younger form had less intolerance for Midgardian drink then his older self-did. Usually he could drink them all under a table.

"My brother takes pleasure in a challenge" he stated finally with a short nod, his beam brightening once again "You should be a worthy consort I think"

Natasha returned shortly to bed after another brief delegation that Loki and her were _not _an item and simply a means to an end. Thor was stubborn and unmoved by his earlier belief or companionship, so she had left it at that, the migraine growing ever closer like a storm upon the wind.

She fell asleep instantly, dreams plagued with school girls, paper chains, raven hair on a slender figure and an old woman.

* * *

**A/N:** :shrugs:  
Just rambling.  
Thank you for the amazing amount of reviews I got for the last chapter, woke up to check my email and had 40 unread messages in my inbox. I'm drowning in flattery.  
Someone pointed out a plot hole, and I ahh, I'm going to ignore it just as the writers of the Harry Potter movies did.  
Ta!


	16. Flaunt it

Natasha didn't have the heart to feel sorry for Tony the next morning.

If perhaps he was bleary eyed, cringed at every single noise, threw the toaster at Thor for just commenting on what a beautiful morning it was, she took silent pleasure in knowing one truly does reap what they sow.  
She sipped her coffee with a certain amount of flourish as Steve who was currently making omelettes pointed out that Tony was being, and she quotes, '_a bag of grumpy muffins._' Tony _accidently _spilt his orange juice on him.

Luckily Steve didn't suspect the amazing amount of liquor that Ironman had shoved down his guzzle the night before. Clint however was a lot more observant and had to smother a laugh when he saw Stark stumbling from his rooms.

"Guys, I don't think I can go to school today" Tony stated a look of pure misery on his face before slumping onto the kitchen bench "I'm sick."

"Well if you're sick, one day absence shouldn't do any harm" Steve answered petting down his O.J drenched shirt with a damp cloth and still managing to look concerned. Natasha shot a look at Clint, who shook his head with a smirk imbedded on his lips; _mother hen_ in all his glory.

* * *

"Where's Tim?" Monica inquired sitting on one of the steps leading to the school foyer, Thor sat on the one below her having permitted her to play with his blonde locks, placing them into extravagant braids and taking photos with her IPhone each time she did so.  
She got a pretty good one with the God's hair placed in a style reminiscent of Princess Leia in Star Wars: A New Hope.

The thunderer didn't get the reference, but an audible snort could be heard as Loki passed by them.

"Hangover" Bruce answered shortly at which Monica gave an all too understanding nod

"Can't hold his liquor?"

"Among other things."

"Oh. _Gross_"

"At least he didn't start fornicating with the couch" Natasha intervened recalling that one time Tony had dabbled in the strange Asgardian herbs Thor had brought back one visit "It's not a pleasant thing to walk in on"

"Again_, gross._" Monica grimaced dropping the blonde braid and unravelling it, Thor shaking his hair out like a wet dog upon doing so. "So have you heard the good news Theo, about a certain brother of yours, and a certain red haired harpy of mine?"

Thor lit up at the subject but Natasha frowned "Harpy?"

"Do you really need to ask?" that was Bruce; Natasha sometimes had to wonder about the man's sudden bouts of _sass_.

"Only in the nicest sense" Monica assured her with a wink

"You're calling me a mythical foul tempered, half vulture?" Natasha asked, her eyes narrowing "Have you been talking to Tim?"

"I'll never tell" Monica sang

"Tis true Lady Winters" Thor boomed with his own smile, she had no time to correct his formalities before continuing "My brother is escorting Natalie to the Fling of Spring ball"

Well at least he got her name right.

"I can imagine it now" her purple haired friend continued, gesturing her hands as she set the scene "Long dresses, Luke in a suit, or naked, _whatever_, slow dancing under a disco ball as Barry White makes an entrance, you move in closer soft whispers and caresses into each other's ears.."

"Do you need a room?" Natasha interrupted swiftly before the scenario divulged any further "Please, do warn me before you have an orgasm in public"

Monica sighed breaking off from her imagination "I ship you two so hard"

"That's disturbing to know"

"I can't help myself"

"That's what worries me" she replied with a small smile and shake of her head "Anyway, one dance. Already told you this, one, don't go writing off wedding invitations with Theo or anything, or I will hunt you down and slay you alive"

"Take away my fun" Monica huffed but broke out into a grin either way. Bruce indulged himself in a small smile as he shook his head lightly, Monica's gaze fell on him "How about you Brendan, you got a date for the dance?"

"No" Bruce answered, though he didn't seem at all put out about it

Monica hummed thoughtfully "Pay you twenty to go with me?"

"You can keep your twenty" he replied, and if Natasha didn't know any better she could swear to see a blush rising on his cheeks "But if you want I'll go with you"

"Yay!" she answered clapping her hands together once "Take note, I favour purple"

"Really?" he humoured her "I hadn't guessed"

Thor beamed at them, although Natasha was sure he saw a match blooming when it was in truth just friendly acceptance. Thor had refused to ask any of the girls to the dance, not while he was still in a committed relationship with the astrophysicist Jane Foster; he had declined all of the girls who had practically begged him to take them to the dance. They backed off once realising Thor's ever warming heart belonged to another.

Even though Thor had incited them with a little too much information when they inquired of the girl, Natasha had to point out that telling a flock of sixteen to seventeen year old girls that one of the most eligible guys in school was dating a 30 year old scientist was perhaps not the best decision to make. Thor had retaliated by saying something both equal to loving and chivalrous and Natasha had blacked out for a moment from the diabetes she had obtained from it all.

Damn Asgardian men and their chivalry.

* * *

Loki had taken it upon himself to start accompanying Natasha to the library after school hours and slinking around the darkened hallways behind the red haired assassin like a constant shadow as she stalked the schools corridors. If he weren't a psychopathic trickster God he would have made one hell of an assassin, Natasha had to admire the way his movements seemed somewhat snake like and almost discernible from the wind.

They'd speak in light banter, witty words, before parting ways once believing nothing of interest was likely to happen that evening in Marsden School, except for that one time they had spied the Janitor making out with the Cafeteria Lady, but that was not the sort of interesting finds they were hoping to acquire in their time together.

Loki did not speak of the upcoming dance, and Natasha was silently grateful, talking to Monica about it was one thing, but talking about it to her date was a whole different ball game, one which induced her to fumbling the ball a little more than what was comfortable. As the week wore on Natasha felt herself starting to calm in his presence, her heartbeat would not pound constantly whenever laying eyes upon him, though it still seemed to pick up quite quickly were he to share one of his iconic grins with her.

He made her laugh on one to many occasion, alarm bells constantly ringing in her head, but she knew better to let the trickster get to close, knew better to indulge in the fact that he had chosen to spend his evenings trailing behind her, knew there was probably some ulterior motive behind doing so.

Loki however seemed way to enthusiastic and did not stoop to hide their relationship from prying eyes. Often Natasha would be walking silently through a crowded hallway and suddenly find the trickster's arm encircling her own and steering her through the swarm of students far more efficiently then she had ever managed.

Sometimes he would simply carry her books for her without asking permission to do so, which was simply to cliché for her to deal with and made her skin match the colour of her hair. A mistake on her behalf obviously as Loki promptly nicknamed her _beetroot _and proclaimed that this was his new pet name for her.

He had, unfortunately, dodged her waywardly kick.

People noticed, of course they did, and gossip flew through the air here like spores did. By the end of the first day of Loki's courting (_what other way was there to put it?) _she had managed to piss off a whole segment of the schools population including a number of female teachers.

Monica took absolute joy in Kristin's face as Loki tucked in a tag from Natasha's jumper as they passed; her friend had reiterated the blonde's appearance and expression to that of the Hulk as the day wore on.

Nasty words appeared on bathroom stalls concerning herself, but she didn't care, words were just words, and the blonde bimbo was suffering. If Kristin hadn't intentionally brought this on by herself then this sudden closeness between herself and Loki would never have happened.  
That's what she told herself anyway, it's not like she was enjoying it….okay that was a _total lie_.

She's been hated before definitely, sometimes she would revel in it, she's even been envied before, but not like this. Not as she was the way she is now, young and frazzled and on no account perky, but Loki didn't seem to care, and that meant a strange amount of unrecognisable feelings she had to process.

It was on one such occasion that Loki intended to walk her back home, and she had accepted without so much as the briefest pause of hesitation.

"Well aren't we enthusiastic?" he had asked with a small chuckle, she had blushed furiously to only incite him further _"Beetroot"  
_  
Why did her leg keep insisting to miss the intended spot?

They had walked side by side back through the darkened streets of Manhattan, side stepping broken pieces of glass and angry drunks which seemed to rave at them from the other side of the street. Natasha had to bite back a laugh each time Loki would set their pants on fire, he insisted it was simply an illusion that would fade but ultimately not hurt them.

"All for you beetroot" he had chided

"Stop calling me that"

Loki did not hide his distaste for the sullen streets, grimacing openly at hints of dried spew and vulgar graffiti.  
"You should have all just let me rule you" he proclaimed shooting a look at a rat that had just run down one of the many gutters "I could have made this place much more aesthetically pleasing. It could have been a Utopia"

"We would have been slaves"

"Slavery is not so different to peace" Loki answered "You all crave for a new, happier, better world but you do nothing about it but form charities in which to spill currency. Asgard is ruled by one King, and it is far better for it, as is most of the other realms. Such a shame you Midgardian's always seem intent in having opinions and freedom, you're too blinded by it to comprehend that it is your words and not your actions ultimately ruining the world you all wish to save."

"That really isn't up to you though" Natasha answered coolly "You are not from here so we would not expect you to understand, you have no right to…"

She was broken off by a sudden movement behind her and practically leaped forward into Loki, as she looked around wide eyed at the disturbance. It was that old woman again who did not even seem to notice the two school students in proximity and continued to rustle around in a garbage can.

Loki cleared his throat and Natasha realised she was clinging on to him in reflex, she cursed herself before pushing him away and straightened herself.

"Midgardians" Loki snorted watching the old woman who hummed tunelessly to herself "There is no poverty in Asgard"

Natasha ignored him and instead opened her backpack quickly, taking from it a sandwich she had not had the chance to eat and walking towards the woman cautiously, Loki watching her wearily as she did so.

"Hello" Natasha managed to murmur, tapping the lady on the shoulder who looked up at the impact and into Natasha's eyes, the hint of dementia still trapped in her own ones. Natasha presented the sandwich to the spinster who took it with shaky hands as though unsure of what it was. "I made it, well Steve, a friend of mine did."

The woman seemed to realise what it was and looked back at her with a gummy smile, oddly reminiscent of a toddler's smile "I know you" she proclaimed once again.

"Well you do now…" Natasha explained with her own smile before realising the woman was not looking at her, but someone over her shoulder; Loki.

Loki seemed somewhat startled at the affront and frowned "I believe you are mistaken."

"Don't mind her" Natasha stated even as the woman moved to approach Loki "I think she has dementia or something, she's not all there"

The woman stopped in front of Loki and looked at him closely, Loki looked back into her eyes and something dawned across his face making Natasha rush towards his side as the woman continued to look up at him as though a familiar.

"I know you" she repeated, certain assuredness now lining her voice

"Yes" Loki replied, raising an eyebrow "I believe you may"

"What?" Natasha asked somewhat impatiently as she looked between the two of them "What does that mean? Don't humour the crazy woman Loki, its cruel"

"There is something strange about this woman yes, but it is not insanity"

"Yeah you would know" Natasha snorted, earning her a very displeased look from the Asgardian Prince.

"This woman" he continued "Her eyes are not quite right."

"Cataracts?"

"No." Loki gritted out, obviously his patience was wearing thin with her unhelpful interruptions. There was some pleasure in watching him squirm she supposed "The difference I am talking of, is that her eyes do not seem to match up with her obvious age"

"That doesn't make any sense" Natasha stated bluntly, an inkling that Loki was simply just teasing her "What does that mean?"

"It means" he stated looking at her clearly through his emerald eyes "It means that this woman is not the intended age she is meant to be"

* * *

**A/N:** Bah bah baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!  
Wow, so obvious now isn't it?  
Thanks again for the many reviews, and hopefully another chapter will be up later this week.  
TTFN!

P.S: This was uploaded twice because I hade to make edits. Like Monica calling Thor Thor, and mispelling Kristins name. My bad.


	17. It's not easy being Green

Natasha leant against the large glass windows of the Avenger's Manor, looking down into the large expanse of city gifted by the positioning of their home. She could make out the Empire State building and Stark Tower easily through the tall skyscrapers, suddenly and_ not _for the first time, wishing she were in Europe working out all her frustrations and angst upon terrorists and consorting liars with deadly games and means.

How she_ missed _the feeling of placing her hands around a mobsters arm and hearing it crack with just a flick of her wrists.

This was beyond her. This was weakness at its worst.

The old lady sat on a chair looking around like a curious cat at her surrounding and grinning like a child in a candy store as the other Avengers surrounded her. Loki stood next to his not-brother a hand cupping his pointed chin, and rubbing against his jaw line, pondering the oddity from a distance.

Bruce stood with a small mechanical device in hand, sweeping it over the woman frustrated confusion expressed on his usually calm façade.

"There's an unusual amount of energy vibrating from a small amount of atmosphere around her" he said with a small shake of his head "This goes beyond science."

"Trickery" Thor stated with a small inclination of his head

"Magic" Loki corrected with a scowl at his older sibling

"Girls _stop_" Tony stated waving his hands as Thor sought rebuttal "You're _both_ pretty. Point is, Grandma over here is not meant to be Grandma. If what Loki says is true, and seeing as how the energy around her is changed in a massive way, I have to admit God of Lies may have some truth in his words"

"That sounds promising" Clint muttered darkly as Loki grinned at them

"Many thanks for that small vouch of favour Stark" he announced "It's an honour to know that once things outside your ranges of intellect are in play, you turn to another whose lifes ambition is to enslave you all and make sport of your daily routines."

"Anytime buddy" Tony replied, sarcasm drenching his tone as he turned back to the old woman and started prodding her with a small silver rod, Natasha was sure had no use what whatsoever but to simply annoy and gain reactions. The woman remained perfectly oblivious, not even swatting away the small jabs made by it and simply smiling at the young billionaire, Tony couldn't help but smile back "I like her, let's make her the Avenger's mascot"

"She's not a thing Tony" Steve sighed rubbing his palms against his eyes exasperatedly

"C'mon Cappy, think about it! _The Avengers; _saving lives and helping old women cross roads" Tony gestured his hand emphatically in play "We could have a picture of her face emblazoned on our uniforms"

"This is the team that defeats me?" Loki asked incredulously looking around at all of them in disbelief "I believe I've lost all dignity I still held close"

"Yeah well don't worry" Clint answered bluntly "If you see us wearing an old lady on our chest we've probably lost all that we had left as well"

"We're not wear…can we please just get back to the subject at hand?" Steve demanded growing frustrated

Bruce nodded in agreement and Tony chuckled as they moved back to the senior woman and started filling out observations on a Stark tablet.

"The woman" Natasha spoke up for the first time, all eyes snapping towards her "She said she knew me, and Loki, but I've never seen her before, at least, if my suspicions are correct, not as she is now"

Bruce looked up from his tablet and narrowed his eyes "What are you suggesting?"

The red haired spy shrugged slightly, still trying to wrap her mind around the whole issue "I'm just contemplating that perhaps, just maybe, this is one of the missing girls"

Silence followed her statement, breaking only as Loki started to clap slowly

"Oh bravo" he announced hands falling back to his chest "I was wondering who would be the first of your group to come to that conclusion. Well done _beetroot_, you're living up to all my expectations"

"Stop calling me that" Natasha snapped, blushing furiously as each head snapped to her, Stark's smug expression probably the most infuriating. Steve just looked confused and Clint suspicious for they had not yet been filled in on her latest _(sort-of_) mission, which she had been hoping to keep on the down low. Her date obviously had other ideas.

She waved her hands impatiently, bringing the line of conversation back to the subject "So I'm right?"

"Oh yes" Loki stated with a small quirk of his lips "It all makes sense. Where the missing girls are when they are hidden in plain sight as old street dwellers clueless to their own background. They are simply overlooked."

Another harsh silence followed this as meaning soaked in disturbed by the old woman tunelessly humming to herself. Clint passed her a segment of apple which she took like a prized possession, chewing into it with a soft crunch, eyes sparkling as if told she had just won the lottery.

To think that there were others like her out there, searching uselessly for something forgotten, it left a bitter taste inside Natasha's mouth, dread filling her stomach.

"Bruce" she stated breaking everyone's train of thoughts, the former Hulk looked towards her expectantly "Do you still have that blood sample from Alana Banks' bow?"

"Yes" the young doctor replied with a small nod understanding flushing through his expression "You want me to see if it matches with hers?"

He asked looking plaintively at the old woman in front of him as Natasha nodded.

"The only girl I could say knew me in passing was probably Alana, she seemed to know Loki as well" she was reminded of the appalling flirting techniques the girl had used upon the unresponsive trickster, smothering a nasty smirk as she continued "If my suspicions are correct, this is the running senates daughter who has been missing for over two months"

"Someone should inform Director Fury" Steve stated, Clint was already moving his hands to his pocket, pulling out his phone. "This can't get out, it'll turn into a media circus"

The media was still slightly aware and suspicious that the only Avengers glimpsed in the last month had been Captain America and Hawkeye, soon some big players in the fight for domination would likely find out. All of SHIELD were growing restless, Fury's temper seemingly shorter of late each day passing as the rest remained in their Degrassi years.

This newfound information would surely lighten his ever darkening spirits.  
And what occurred the next week would probably double it.

Senior science was perhaps the most detestable class Natasha had the obligation of intending. It wasn't her field of expertise, and it was all rather overwhelming that everything in the universe linked back to the simple notion of scientific deduction. They had Tony and Bruce to explain it all to a room filled with blank faces, just managing to catch on to the gist of each explanation.

High School managed to be just the same, Mr Bowen droning on and on in a monotone voice every science session she attended, just barely hanging on to the thesis. Bruce sat next to her sitting up in rapt attention and nodding at every fact Bowen would spew out in a tumble of slow worded sentences, and then would write out even lengthier, in-depth prognosis' of each.

Natasha blew a strand of her red hair that managed to find its way into her eyes, shifting restlessly and looking towards the clock overhead the smart board, tapping her foot impatiently. Bruce had done the DNA results as asked, and had come back as an affirmative.

The old lady was indeed the missing girl Alana Banks.

Alana Banks is an old lady.

It would have been funny if not for the direness of the situation. The woman (girl?) was clueless and had no inclination whatsoever of the predicament she was in, as if her mental capacity had somehow been sucked from her as well as her youth.

"It could be many things" Loki deemed the day the test results had come back "Magic, most likely, someone is abusing their powers."

"Yeah because we know _no one _who does _that_" Tony had sniped with a roll of his eyes, Loki ignored him swirling a teaspoon around in his chamomile tea that Steve had made for him ("_There's nothing wrong with being a good host_" he had snapped at Stark's incredulous expression)

"Stealing youth" Natasha had commented next to Clint who had been rearranging his arrows and checking each point for density "It sounds like a wicked witch from a fairy tale"

"It is not unheard of in Asgard" Thor stated knowingly "I recall the Elvin priestess of Alfheim, her youth and beauty was renowned across the realms. Even I had at some point considered courting the maiden…"

"Oh yeah?" Bruce asked curiously "What happened?"

Thor shook his head broodingly; a knowing smirk had alighted across Loki's features as the thunderer answered

"We arrived, my brother, Lady Sif and the Warrior's Three so I may lay claim to the priestess. She was indeed beautiful, had ensnared and bewitched me of instant arrival, but she was a fraud.  
That night she had tried to relieve the Lady Sif of her own appearance, just as she had other missing maidens across the realms, it was a lucky thing Loki could sense the use of a darker magic to rouse me from my sleep to stop her.  
"Sif was near collapse when we intervened, the priestess appearing as vulgar that she was inside, her true wizened and aged form cracking her skin most obscenely when the final stages of her process were not able to be fulfilled."

"What happened to the priestess?" Clint asked eyes rapped with attention, Loki let out a snort.

"What always happens" Loki scoffed sipping his tea "Thor bludgeoned her to _death_with Mjolnir"

Thor grinned ashamedly at the Avengers, who had all looked to him with eyebrows raised "That was indeed a long time ago friends. I have changed since then"

"Should I tell them the tale of Thyrm Thor?" Loki had asked amusement and venom lacing his voice "I'm sure that your friends would _love _to hear that one"

"Be silent brother" Thor had replied in hushed tones, another largely more embarrassed blush spreading across his cheeks.

She would have to ask about that one later, Natasha thought still wiggling upon her science stool with increasing lack of focus. Perhaps she could persuade Loki to enlighten her, while Thor's stories he usually entertained them with every chance he got were amusing, they would always show him in brighter light.

There had to be a number of tales that Thor had forgotten to mention, ones that portrayed the hot headed young princeling Loki would always snark on about whenever his adopted brother brought up nostalgia on the battlefield.

"That could have been explained better" Bruce murmured next to her, shaking her from her ever distracted thoughts as he jotted down millions of notes and renditions of the teachers lecture.  
Honestly, how could he concentrate in a time like this? They were so much closer in finding the culprit now that they knew what was happening to the girls.

Fury had rounded up a team of SHIELD agents to search the streets in search of all the girls, so far four out of the six that had gone missing had been found and were being kept safely and cared for daily by carers and nurses in a SHIELD compound.

Fury, as ever, still remained pessimistic and sceptical. They had found out what had been happening to the high school girls, sure, but they had no way of returning them to their rightful selves.

"Kill the magic user" Loki had stated when Fury had posed this question, Thor nodding next to him protectively "Once the Elvin priestess was killed, all those who had been transformed were returned to their rightful states."

Natasha had silently agreed with Tony who had retorted in disbelief about how Cinderella and Snow White he had made it sound, which Loki had gone on to explain in a barely contained boredom hugging tone about the importance of life forces. Natasha was barely able to hang on to that conversation as well; damning herself for having a crush on one of the most relatively known intelligent species on the nine realms.

_Wow, you're just going to overlook the evil, psychopath traits now aren't you? _A sarcastic voice had chided her.

Shut up voice.

"Child's play" Bruce sighed next to her, again breaking off her train of thought to look at the scientific nut beside her.

Out of all of them, Bruce had been handling their sudden switches in age the easiest. Perhaps he was simply content in the fact that there was no other guy hidden deep beneath the seams at present time, quite like how Tony's arc reactor was gone and there was no shrapnel imbedded in his heart. Though, Stark seemed to find faults in this acknowledgement.

"My own personal strobe light" he had commented morosely petting his unscathed chest on the first week they had been changed into teenagers "Now I'm just…_Tony Stark_." A heavy pause "Which is still cooler than being anyone else. Go me!"

Natasha was happy for Bruce; he deserved a break, or even an impossible reliever, from the burden he had to carry within himself. And though he would complain, and judge that this low level of scientific data was beneath him, he still went with the flow. Like a tuna.

She should really stop being a salmon.

_Fish analogies are lame._

Shut up voice.

Natasha stared up at the science class clock again, only five more minutes until session ends. She sighed tapping her pen impatiently against the heavy lab book placed in front of her, equations merging together in front of her tired eyes as she once again lost herself in thoughts about the missing girls, magic, and the increasingly nearing spring fling; _only two weeks away now.  
_  
Both Monica and the red haired assassin had arranged another date to find dresses after the last failed attempt. She did start to think that perhaps wearing emerald would suit whatever Loki chose to wear, it did seem to be his signature colour. Another part of her wanted to spite him and wear pink, just to kick at his ever growing ego as he continued to play affectionate in the school corridors.

"Honestly Natasha" Loki had retaliated after taunting him with the idea of pink dresses and taffeta, he had rolled his eyes and smirked "Red heads shouldn't wear pink, everyone knows that"  
She silently agreed with him.  
"Dark colours if you will" he suggested with a flick of his hand "If not green, which would befit you most pleasingly as it does me, and then it would only be suitable to wear something dark."

She found herself grinning at his insistently modest tone, and though she had not cared to acknowledge his suggestion, she would nonetheless follow it. She started to scribble on her page dress designs, losing herself in the next two minutes of class not even realising as Bruce began to tug at her sleeve and hiss at her.

"What?" Natasha had asked startled at the sudden touch and looking towards Banner with wide eyes "What is it?"

Bruce looked back with even wider eyes as he looked down at his hands and then back at her "I'm _tingling_"

She paused for a moment letting the statement run through her head before jumping off the stool and grabbing his arm, dashing to the door of the science lab as he was dragged along in her wake. Mr Bowen was yelling something incoherently to them as they ran down the corridor quickly away from the dull science lab.

"I don't think I can hold it much longer" Bruce gasped nearing the exit out to the teacher's car park

_Shit, shit, shit, shit…._

Was all that coursed through Natasha's mind, empty of everything else but trying to get Bruce away from the prying eyes of students as they pushed out through the doors into the wider expanse of space. She let go of Bruce's arm allowing him to overtake her as he suddenly changed into his older self, in which Clint had described most accurately with a _poof.  
_  
It unfortunately didn't stop there.

The reformed Banner began to yell, and keeled over upon himself as his skin and body began to morph around him; his skin turning a mottled green as he did so, Natasha retreated behind an old yellowed car as she watched his transformation from man to beast.

The Hulk roared making her jump as he trampled a car underneath his feet as he made his way into the busy city streets, disappearing from where she stayed hidden behind the yellowed Toyota. She breathed a sigh of relief, slicking out her phone from her breast pocket and hitting dial.

"Fury" she answered once the call picked up, her voice slightly breathless as she shut her eyes to explain the call "Bruce is back. And so is the _other guy_."

* * *

**A/N:** I had writers block. My bad.  
Bruce is reformed, naww. Now who will Monica go to the fling with?  
Guys this is coming up to the finale. I'm guessing four more chapters left to go.  
This story, has honestly just been blown out of proportion, originally only meaning to be like ten chapters. But you guys have just been so supportive and wonderful with your follows and reviews and, gaah! Thank you so much!


	18. Labels over Love

"You're late"

The admonishment of Natasha's tardiness, after the rather large ordeal of Bruce's transformation, almost made her break down into a fit of manic laughter. Monica's eyebrow was raised, an obvious attempt in prompting a much needed answer from her freckled friend.  
The Hulk was rampaging throughout Central Park and here she was ready for a _shopping_date.

She had just come from a very long talk with Director Fury and if she wasn't afraid of dropping her friend's hopes, she would have just cancelled this bout of normalcy to return to the world of the Black Widow.

But she _promised_, and Monica just happened to be one of those rarities that she liked enormously.

She apologised for her tardiness and jumped into the chauffeured car prepared for them, via Mr Winters the wealthy lawyer. They chatted idly on the way to the expensive strand of shops that they would peer through, trying to find the appropriate attire for the expected dance.  
Natasha was distracted by all sorts of facts and ideas that she sometimes found her mind drifting off from Monica's incessant ramblings and joining in halfway with small mumbles of confirmation.

She would have to tell Monica the next day at school that Bruce would no longer be joining them. Until then she would come up with a plausible excuse for his sudden departure.  
Perhaps Tony or Thor could take her purple haired friend to the dance, she was sure Monica would have no qualms about having two of the hottest guys in school on each arm. _Actually_, now that she thought about it, she would probably revel in it.

She could already imagine feather boas and sunglasses, a cane in hand like some kind of pimp.

Yes, Monica would enjoy that immensely.

Natasha made her way among the stacks and fitting rooms, again the idea of finding the perfect dress was lost on her, she was now wishing she could find at least _one_that actually looked decent while also keeping the colour scheme in mind.

_Designer's need to rethink their target market_, she thought spying a strange cloth-like concoction presented in the viewing windows of one of a high brand shop. It looked like a circus tent with spikes, fitted on a mannequin who, _Natasha swore_, also looked uncomfortable, it was with great deliberation she marked it as a somewhat bizarre dress.

"I like it" Monica mused as they stood in front of the window with narrowed eyes as though inspecting an art piece in a museum "The lines and curves truly do wonders to the waist line"

"Oh yes" Natasha answered playing along in what could only be discerned as a sophisticated manner, moving her wrist around as though swirling around the contents of a wine glass. "The pure imagination, pure thought of such a detailed masterpiece truly is splendid"

"_Superb!"_

"_Glorious!"_

"So freaking_ hideous _I wouldn't give it to my dog"

"I think my eyes just _vomited_"

They looked at each other with straight faces before breaking into a fit of giggles and staggering past the windows and customers flitting through the crowded corridors of the strand, before entering another boutique and searching its wares.

"This is an impossible mission" Natasha gritted out as they entered the tenth shop, Monica bopping next to her, a skip in step as she mock bowed to the girl at the register who scrutinised them from afar.

"Mission?" Monica laughed churlishly skipping around a table of silk scarves "A fine quest for a beautiful dress. We are not even close to what every other girl goes through; at least we have the willpower not to buy other stuff while we search."

Natasha hummed thoughtfully picking up one of the scarves, an emerald green with golden vines creeping through the fabric, she thought of how well it would suit Loki, and just as suddenly groaned inwardly.

_Bad Natasha, bad_.

They flitted through the shop like hummingbirds in a breeze, until it was certain that nothing could be found in even the grandest of malls in Manhattan.

But not before she bought the scarf anyway, _screw willpower_.

The missing dress was just another factor adding onto her already heightened nerves, threatening to collide with everything she had worked for.

The ripened ages of the girls, the perpetrator still at large, the_ Hulk_ was on the loose and probably being coerced by the Captain and Hawkeye right now, the dance, _Loki_, the dress and oh yeah, the fact that she was a freaking teenager was lost in the mix as well.

She wanted to vent, she wanted to scream.

She wanted to tell the only friend she had made the truth, wanted to tell her everything about her. Monica knew there was something up, Natasha could tell by the little worried glances and the suspicious looks she threw at her when covering up for the rest of her team, and herself. She was just as bad as the rest of them.

"You know what?" Natasha piped up, a thought slipping into her head and taking hold. She slid into the seat of the leather upholstered car and started to place the belt around her small waist as Monica listened "There's a small place in Brooklyn, it's not fancy or anything, but there's a few gems hidden in the rafters if you want to try?"

There was little hesitation when Monica agreed. She was running low on options and growing up wealthy had obviously narrowed her imaginations of life outside of branded stores. She gave directions to the chauffeur and tried to ignore the small looks her friend sent her way as they were driven out of the heart of the city, Natasha wondered if the girl had ever seen what _downtown _was.

She smirked to herself comparing her friends look to one that would surely have been on Alice's face when stepping through the looking glass and into Wonderland.

"Where are you taking me?" She asked eyes squinting at Natasha suspiciously "I know you said it wasn't fancy, but I really doubt we'd have more luck in a thrift store then we would in Gucci."

"Have faith" Natasha replied smiling at her before leaning forward and directing the driver to pull over in front of a small strip of shops. A newsagency, a fish and chip shop, a little café and a small boutique sat there, a small group of passer-by's drifting past.

Natasha jumped out of the vehicle with a thank you while Monica leaned forward to tell the driver to keep the engines on.

"It's not that bad" Natasha chided her with a roll of her eyes "We're not even out of the city; it's a wonder what would happen if I take you to the burbs"

"Don't even joke about that" Monica replied in mock outrage as they stepped into the small shop, a ring of bell overhead as the door shut behind them "Oh this is actually really cute"

The place was called Indigo and had been a favourite of Natasha's ever since she had discovered it while jogging with Steve. The theme of the store was sky blue and ebony, the clothes ranging from casual to formal, an aged woman with silver hair and a friendly face glanced up at them with a smile when entering.

"Formal season?" she asked, both of them nodding to her question. She looked them up and down with friendly scepticism "Do you know what colour ranges you were after?"

They answered at the same time

"Dark" "She needs _green_."

Natasha glared at Monica who simply batted her eyelashes innocently at her.

"Green would work well with your colours, you have beautiful red hair and pretty skin" the woman said with a small smile before leading them into the stacks "It would suit you brilliantly"

"And Luke" Monica teased earning her a sharp jab to the ribs by Natasha as they followed.

* * *

Natasha arrived back at the Avengers Manor laden with bags in each hand, she strolled through the common rooms and into the expanse of hallways dropping the bags just inside the doors with a small sigh before backtracking to the kitchens.

Clint waved to her, pizza stuffed in mouth and cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk as he chewed, Thor was taking his example and doing the same with a bit more gusto. She noticed the small scratches lining the archer's face and one again sighed.

"How's Bruce?" she asked raking a hand through her hair, stopping when a not caught her fingers making her wince

"Passed out" Clint mumbled through bread and cheese "Took nearly five hours for him to calm down. Think the other guy was celebrating his return"

"Where'd you find him?"

"Bathing in the lake at Central Park, a duck made a nest on his head"

"And the scratches?"

"He didn't like being told to get out"

Natasha nodded, this was acceptable.

"Fury told me you were there when it happened?" Clint inquired as he reached for another piece of the pizza, Thor already onto his fourth piece and listening uncommitted to their conversation, Natasha nodded.

"Yep, got him out of the building just as he let all his tingles out, I had a feeling the other guy may have wanted to spread his legs a bit. _Poor Banner_" she added cocking her head in pity as she reached for a piece of the Italian delicacy before the man and thunder boy could finish it off. She bit delicately and chewed slowly. "Any casualties?"

"Just a bunch of broken cars" Clint answered easily "And some ducks, hopefully nothing that'll grow on the Doc's conscience"

"Here's hoping" Natasha replied with a small salute with her pizza before turning to Thor "Think you could escort Monica to the dance? As friends of course"

Thor swallowed half of what was in his mouth before answering with a small nod "It would be my pleasure. I shall have to explain to Lady Winters of course that my love belongs not to her but the Lady Jane, who's beauty and grace is equal to that of a million dying stars and the sunsets of Vanahe…"

"Pretty sure you can just say _as friends_" Natasha interrupted before he would break out into a soppy ballad "Pretty sure all of the school knows of you and Jane"

"Is my love forbidden?" the thunderer asked, his face scrunching up in confusion.

"No" the widow answered hesitantly before adding "Yes. Just, try not to broadcast it so much until you have your age back, okay Thor?"

The young thunder god looked wary but nodded his head despite the emotions obviously playing around in him. "I shall inform Lady Monica tomorrow of my decision to escort her to the fling of spring"

"She'll be ecstatic" Clint said with a small grin scrunching up his serviette "Double date with the Asgardian bros."

"Shut it" Natasha snapped, growing that hideous beet red Loki had pet named her for.

"Whatever you say _beetroot_"

"Clint, seriously, shut it."

"My brother has only ever given his most prized maidens a name of affection" Thor broke in, the usual bright smile playing along his face endearingly once again each time he brought the subject up "You must be very dear to him"

"Pretty sure he just likes to see me cringe" Natasha gritted out through her teeth taking a furious bite of what was left of the pizza, not even caring that the red sauce had stained her white blouse in the sudden movement "And just overall hate myself"

A silence fell over as the rest of the Avengers joined them, Bruce walking in bleary eyed, but back to his usual adult self. His smile was sheepish smile when spotting Natasha, an apology expressed openly.

"Sorry for interrupting your science lesson" he murmured to her

"Ah well" Natasha answered mock disappointment lining her voice "Guess I'll have to learn how to discern an element from an atom another day"

"And tell Monica I'm sorry"

"No worries, already have a cover story"

"Oh?"

"You have a defect"

"That sounds more true then cover"

"Green rashes?"

"Plausible" he allowed with a small grin, pushing his glasses up his nose as he sat down beside her and engaged in conversation with the rest of them. Most of them just pleased that another Avenger had returned to their rightful states, Tony shredding up a serviette and throwing it at Banner like confetti as the rest of them laughed.  
Three down, three to go; not including the resident trickster god.

"Natasha" Thor murmured quietly leaning towards her on his stool "What you said about my brother…"

"It was a joke Thor" she answered quickly with a small laugh "Don't take it to seriously"

The golden haired boy nodded, his youthful face just as open as it was when older, in some moments he looked like a kicked puppy, as he did right now.

"Loki does not often let people in. And even though these small affections may be simply in jest or to vex you" Thor continued with a small smile as Natasha listened carefully "Affection is something of a rarity of my trickster brother, only few would actually know of it, but when he does, it is _glorious _to behold"

The red haired assassin nodded uncertainly, lifting her lips into a strained smile as Thor turned away to engage with the others' conversations, leaving her to stew in the confusion he had left.

Loki was simply playing.

_Wasn't he?_

* * *

**A/N:** This turned from plot development to "_Monica and Natasha's awesome shopping adventure yeah_!"  
I regret nothing! _:jumps out window:_

Thanks for all the reviews and faves. Next chapter is a little different with Loki POV. I already have it written, so all I need to do is upload it...once I think you've all suffered enough, eheheheheheheh _:dissapears in green smoke:  
_


	19. The Curious Case of Natasha Romanov

He liked the way Natasha moved as she fought, as though to a dance only she could move to, the music only she could render completely as she struck down another being.

All poise and grace was the woman with hair like autumn leaves in fall.

"What's the difference between lava and magma?" Natasha asked him suddenly, rousing him from his thoughts so he may peer over his own text book and look to her youthful face.

They sat in the library, Loki sitting quietly reading one of the dire novels Midgardians had placed on their "bestsellers list." The former red haired assassin sat opposite him at one of the tables, twirling a pen around her fingers as she jotted down half summarised notes from the thick texts splayed before her.

A small smudge of blue ink from her pen smeared her cheek. He just barely half concealed his smile.

"Magma is what lies beneath your planets first layer" He answered calmly as her eyes narrowed in concentration, a little wrinkly forming between her brows as she did so "It is basically molten rock. Lava is what becomes of the magma once it reaches the surface through fissures"

She made a noise of assumed appreciation before turning back to her lined work book and scribbling down the information frantically before the fact was lost from memory.

He, again, smothered a smile.

The God of Mischief had never truly paid attention to females, those in the Asgardian court tended to be of the simpering maidens who clung to their warriors and waved handkerchiefs as they left for battle. He had court his fair few, _absolutely_, he was a Prince after all, and Aesir royalty had certain duties to attend to, even those considered less favourable.

Turning rounds in the gardens with a Lady of the court on arm, gabbling away about new spider spun cloths from Alfheim, or a new recipe of roast bilgesnipe, really left the Trickster with much to be desired where women were concerned.

Sif was a brute, just like Thor was, and though beautiful when not covered in the grime and dust of her enemies, she still lacked that certain spark of grace which was one of the only attributes to truly make the game of fight beautiful.

That, and Sif is a _bitch._

The Aesir made fighting appear so primitive, slashing and hacking away at their foes with little wit and poise, each spar likely to end in splatters of blood and broken teeth. He hated getting his hands dirty, it was one of the reasons he divulged his research and mind into the old magic of Seidr. A dishonourable form of weapon for both Aesir and male, but those foolish to speak as such would often pay with the simple flick of his wrist.

"How is the beast?" Loki asked casually as she continued to scrawl down more dot points, pausing some moments face scrunching up before scribbling over the words written and leaving big dark marks all over her pages.

"You mean Bruce?" she answered distractedly, blowing out the strands of red hair that escaped in front of her face irritatingly "He's fine. I think he's glad to be back, just as Clint and Steve are."

_Just as I will be_, were the words Loki supplied to the end of her sentence.

If anyone were to ask the God of Mischief and supreme Trickster of the nine realms whom his favourite Avenger was, Loki would answer without even the slightest inclination of hesitation.

Though he was raised with Thor, fought with Thor, named him brother for millennia's past, he could not choose his own fostered kin as his favourite of the group. He had undergone so many years of neglect, inferiority and unfavourable points of his life under the guidance of his older not-brother, he found it a continuing struggle to even remain in the thunder God's presence for a few short moments without feeling the need to curse or hex him in some way.

Even now as teenagers, Thor still seemed able to unnerve him simply by _being_himself.

He blamed Thor in more ways than one, the many reasons taking root inside of his mind and stretching uncontrollably, leaving him reeling and gasping for stability. His not-brother wasn't singularly to blame, but a small carved out portion of the Trickster's actions had been inspired from him no doubt along with his heritage and fathers.

So no, Thor was not his favourite Avenger, and so too were Tony Stark, the man of many words (but none that were truly important) along with the two sided coin of Banner, the lost in time soldier and the little hawk with precise aim. All had redeemable qualities, Loki supposed, but none could truly measure up to their female team mate.

The Black Widow, _Natasha Romanov_.

Loki looked down at his novel unseeingly, half-heartedly trying to read but no words being absorbed as the constant rustle of pages and scribbles of pen continued in front of him, the flash of pretty red hair remaining in his peripheral the whole time.

The first time the dark haired God had ever seen Natasha, _truly_looked at her, was the first time he had been willingly captured by SHIELD and been forced to stay in that blasted glass cage.

Barton had spoken of her when he was under the influence of the Tesseract, gave Loki everything he needed to know about the red haired assassin and turned it against her, breeching her walls and security like smoke running through his fingers. But she was a smart one that Widow, so like himself when she turned the tables upon him, a fake façade in place to trick him into believing she was scared and vulnerable from his knowledge and words.

"Thank you for your co-operation" she had said with the ghost of a smile.

Loki had wanted to smile back, to applaud her magnificent performance and admit that she had truly overwhelmed his expectations of the woman the Hawk had spoken of.

The plot had still worked out in Loki's favour, but who was he to deny when a truly enrapturing spectacle was placed before him? Natasha Romanov was different; he almost felt pity that she may die when the chituari army arrived.

She was truly _magnificent._

In later battles he would keep a watchful eye on her, watching her dance along to the beat of war and battle like a cobra swaying with its charmer.

_Twist, spin, dodge, attack, repeat, kick, and twist, attack…_

The god of mischief would hum along to each movement she made, each cut of her hand and throw of her leg, the way her body twisted and slithered through her victims was his idea of what a fight should truly be reminiscent of.

Her hair, sunset waves of auburn, porcelain skin which shimmered with small traces of perspiration, her eyes careful and assessing everything she observed through her amber eyes, cataloguing and observing. At times he was wary that even she could breech his own foundations, everything he worked to keep under closed curtains away from prying eyes of both enemies and allies.

Loki was Loki.

The silence of the library was interrupted by Natasha sneezed into her hand, the sound like a chime in his ears and gaining his lips a smile.

"I believe the term one would use is Bless you" He allowed looking up at her as she rustled a tissue from her bag

"Thanks" she replied dryly with a roll of her eyes disposing of the tissue once serving its purpose "Usually one would only use it if they meant it, but I'll take it"

Again that _indifference._

He watched her closely through his green eyes before looking back at the unhelpful novel.

They could call him insane, mad, delusional, but they should never be able to see all the little truths blinded by each lie.  
Not even his little spider should be able to rip away the mask that he had so painstakingly grafted upon himself.

And so the trickster god placed on the high school blazer, messed up his hair and placed that frustrating smirk upon his lips. He would play his part like a good teenage mortal, just as he played his other parts so well.

The whole experiment with age and time was rather an amusing catastrophe, the Avengers reaped the awards of his chaos and so too did the sower, and now Natasha Romanov, the woman who would as soon as smile as she plunge a dagger into her foes guts, became nought but an average school girl.

Except she _wasn't.  
_  
Her self-esteem issues had been astounding, her form awkward like a foal newly born, staggering around unsure of where to go and finding itself stumbling and tripping on ahead until finally crashing.

How it reminded Loki of himself when he was at that age, though he appeared quite fondly into the eyes of mortals, in Asgard this was not the case. Between himself and the rest of its golden nation he was the outsider, the different one, he who would rather take up books instead of battle arms.

Despite the flaws they had when younger they had still moved forward, escaping the clutches of adolescent into the much more pleasant years of adulthood. Placing the mortals back into this situation was cruel, funny, but cruel; especially for _her_.

At first he liked the small banter and insults they threw at each other, made things interesting in the dull life of what mortals had titled an education. They had their fights, refused to meet each other's gaze, spoke to each other with venom dripping from their tongues and overall just acted the part of enemies.

And then she laughed, and he smiled.

Suddenly all those little condescending quirk of lips he threw at her began to attain more meaning each time it lifted. Even now as he sat across from her at the library table with its scratched surfaces, she remained an anomaly to him.  
He didn't know when it had begun, this fascination of the one called Black Widow, and he would be stumped as if to trace it back to the beginning.

The carrier perhaps, when they had first met and threatened each other's lives with memories and promises?  
_No_, that was an old wound; he was far too gone to care of a simple mortal back then.

It didn't feel as if it were the battles they faced from there on out either, again the lust of blood called against his better nature and though he watched entranced as she moved, it was admiration not affection that sang through him.

And then the incident had happened, and all those walls had crumbled leaving the insecure, frazzled little spider that skittered around uncertainly. The cool façade she held so well falling instantly.

He watched closely never missing anything, all the little missteps she took, all the little blushes and gestures she made, the way her hair shone golden red in the sunlight, the small splatter of freckles dashed across her nose, the little glances she shot him when he thought he wasn't looking; how completely vulnerable she had become.

And how _soft_ had he become that he welcomed each glance and gesture whole heartedly; how _maudlin_, how _sappy_, how completely unexpected...

It did not matter what age she was, Natasha was still beautiful.

"They do not yearn for me" she had retorted that one time when being asked why she was not nominated for the Queen of Spring Fling, he had been sincere in his question. Obviously the same beauty he had deemed her of was oblivious to the rest of Midgard's male population.

"Then they are _blind_" he had answered softly, his voice lost in the breeze that swept past them as he watched her retreat.

The fact that she didn't even realise how much she was getting to him maddened him intensely.

And then she had gone ahead and demanded he attend that blasted dance with her, and he had agreed instantly. He had not made her beg or plead, he had said yes.

Then a new type of fun had begun, the way he would walk with her in the hallways, flaunting their newfound (though fake) relationship in front of those moronic girls in their year, taking pleasure in the fact that Natasha found this satisfying and ignoring the way Thor's eyes gleaned over in apprehension of renewal, hands clasping pearls.

This was a dream.

A very confusing, albeit life like, dream.

The trickster god loved reactions, took pleasure in seeing what had become of the mischief he had bestowed upon them all, but they were changing back into their former selves.

The Hawk, Captain and Beast had all changed back; it was simply a matter of time before they did to and everything would return to normal, or what classified as normal in their arrangement.

How he was to try and kill them when he had become so obviously compromised, weighed down on his thoughts, leading to imagined scenarios of redemption and salvation, and then simply coming back to the ledgers of red and how much he wished to see it torn apart and left gasping for breath.

He didn't know what he wanted.

He was Loki; he does what he wants, but never what he needs.

That was the life of a trickster, he supposed, but for now he would enjoy this short lived freedom, he would court his spider with small smiles and soft gazes and would speak to his brother in nicer terms and playful competition.

But it would not change him. He had come too far to drop everything now for a simple _infatuation_.

"What?" Natasha asked curiously, breaking him from his thoughts as she waved a hand in front of his face, his hand came up to grip it in reflex but fell just as suddenly as it made its move. He made a small noise of confusion gaining a quirk of her petal lips.

"You were staring" she explained coolly.

"You have ink on your face" he replied, smiling as she rushed for another tissue, cheeks alight in obvious embarrassment.

_Beetroot._

How he made her feel was a stranger to him, one he wished to blame on the effects of the spell, but he knew better than that. He also knew better to engage in such a flight of fancy.

Love is for children, Natasha had told him once.

He smoothed down his hair, and straightened his emerald tie with golden detailing, the jet black of his suit clinging effortlessly to his lean body as he surveyed himself in the floor to ceiling mirror of his complex, his youthful face smirking back at him as he did so.

Love is for children; leave it to them to flail in its grasp.

_But I suppose_, he thought snapping his fingers easily, a corsage of white orchids detailed with green vines and golden ribbons materialising in his slender fingertips as he looked back at the reflection of his young face, his lip quirking uncontrollably. _Time is of the essence._

* * *

**A/N:** Loki feels! Everybody loves Loki feels!  
I was in need of Loki insight.  
Its so hard not to elaborate on everything! I could just keep going for hours of all the inner turmoil raging in this guy.  
So yes, an update, yay. See, none of you suffered for to long!  
_:gets shot in head:_

Someone asked if Loki was the culprit, and while I thought about it,_ no_, he is not the one doing the hoodoo on the young girls. He is a little angel in this story.  
_:coughs horrifically:_

Thanks for reading! New chapter should be up in the weekend? Maybe? Possibly? I don't know. Fairly soon.


	20. Mirror Mirror

Something was writhing around unpleasantly in Natasha's stomach as she stood before the mirror in front of her.  
The young girl looking back held none of her previous confidence. She fidgeted with the sweetheart neckline and turned slightly, feeling the material slide over her skin softly.

The dress was beautiful.

Upon donning it in the store, Monica had clapped gleefully in her own choice before bursting out into a chorus of the latest femme personified song that came to mind and wouldn't stop until the red haired assassin threw a discarded shoe at her.

It was hard for Natasha to deny, however, just how much the dress had suited her in that moment.  
Now the idea seemed less appealing, trying to figure if it were the dress that was too much, or the fact that she was the one wearing it.

"Are you crazy?" Monica had admonished her when voicing her saddened opinion, she had grabbed her friend by the shoulders and shook her "That dress and you were destined to be together!"

Small words of comfort from her only female friend at Marsden had brought new hopes and visions of grandeur once arriving at the sordid Spring Fling, but were quashed once again as she studied her image alone in her bedroom, the time growing ever closer to when she would have to leave the sanctuary of her quarters and exceed towards the other waiting de-aged Avengers.

_And Loki_, she concluded with a sigh, running her hands across the satin and smoothing out the unsightly creases that adorned its grace.

The dress was indeed the colour of her date's eyes, a stunning emerald that fell in a waterfall to her feet, sweeping around her as she strode across the length of her room and back.  
The ruffles of the sweetheart neck line increased what she was sadly lacking in and emphasised what she did obtain, though still remaining demure in structure. There was one shoulder to the dress, a shimmering black that ran down her chest and finished with a flourish at the waist line, adorned with black diamantes and gems that spun and twirled in Celtic patterns and detailed vines.

It was a dress that could make anyone into a swan.

And still, the niggling of doubt inside her mind clouded what she saw in her reflection.

Her hair had been straightened, and then curled into soft waves half way down her hair length, letting it fall across her shoulders and resting just above her waist. A small portion had been tied back into an intricate knot at the back of her head, which released into another section of neat curls.

She had done her own make up, sweeps of dark kohl, shades and mascara adorning her almond eyes bringing forward the traces of her own green in the usual greyed blues of her irises. Brushes of foundation had been smeared lightly across her cheeks, and the darker red of her lips stood out brilliantly.

Her older self would take one glance in the mirror and left without a second, while her new self, her younger self, could not rip away her eyes from the young woman in front of her.

She looked… _older._

The Russian spy sighed elaborately before grabbing the door handle and wrenching it open, making her way through the corridors and elevator, thanking JARVIS for complimenting her on her dress. She couldn't be too flattered; he _was_an A.I. voice in the walls after all.

Natasha entered into the common room where all of the Avengers were stationed; including Loki whom she could admit whole heartedly, looked dashing in his dark suit. She noticed Tony and Thor also in their suits, but it was with her date her attention remained. Their eyes swept over each other in appreciation, something not even the Trickster could displace, aiming a wry grin her way which she returned with her own quirk.

"You look beautiful" Loki said unashamedly, a murmur of consent moving through the room. Loki started to move forward to greet her but became obstructed by Clint's splayed arm before him, halting the God in his process and shooting him a glower

"Ground rules _Romeo_" the archer stated ignoring Loki's innocent expression and nonchalance "_One_, keep your hands to yourself. _Two_, no funny business, that includes turning the punch into serpents"

"I haven't done that in an age!" Loki near whined and shot a covert look at his brother who grinned sheepishly back at him.

"_Three_" Clint continued ignoring him and tapping a third finger "You bring Natasha back before 12, you got that?"

Natasha frowned indignantly at the coddling she was being recieved with, Loki replied to the archer before she could make an argument.

"Yes, yes" the trickster answered impatiently, waving a hand in front of him and sidestepping Clint "Do not worry, I'm sure Beetroot would near castrate me if I did anything untoward"

"I'll hold her to that" Hawkeye assured him with a pointed finger which next trained onto Tony, who took a step back and held up his hands to his chest "No alcohol"

Steve nodded in agreement and Bruce gave a sympathetic pat on the billionaire's shoulder as his mouth dropped open.

"_Blind accusations! _You should all be ashamed of yourselves" Tony huffed gesturing back at Loki who had sidled next to Natasha and looked slightly bemused "Let's return focus on the guy who can make Hannibal Lector look like a regular joe, shall we?"

"_Who_?" The Asgardian Princes and Steve asked in union, earning a frustrated growl from the de-aged Ironman, who turned to Bruce and scrunched his hands in the folds of the scientist's shirt.

"Banner make them stop!" he demanded in anguish, his voice throwing dramatically "It's honestly too painful to be surrounded by modern culture illiterates!"

"There, there" was all Bruce allowed, petting his friend on the shoulder once more, a small smile on his face as though placating a child, which, _Natasha supposed_, was suitable where Stark was concerned.

"Pictures!" Thor roared suddenly holding a digital camera (_upside down_, Natasha noted) and instantly blinding all occupants in the room with constant flashing, Loki hissed next to her, a tirade of Norse curses leaving his mouth as he placed a slender hand in front of his eyes.

"What? Camera shy?" she couldn't help but tease, her eyes squinting from the flashes which had halted as Clint wrestled the camera out of the Thunderer's grip.

"What are you raving about?" Loki asked incredulously, shooting icy glares at his not-brother "I thought you said I looked handsome"

"I _never _said that"

"You need not, your eyes were near _ravishing _me not moments ago"

"Heh"

"What is it?"

"You said ravishing" she chortled shaking her head a grin pasted on her face she couldn't supress, Loki cocked an eyebrow at her clearly demanding she elaborate, Natasha shrugged "I've just been waiting"

"You've been waiting for me to say _ravishing_?" Loki asked, the amusement coming back in his tone as he clucked his tongue, Bruce was now attempting to show Thor how to use the camera properly, Steve trying to subtly listen in "Now why would you worry yourself with such notions darling?"

Natasha pursed her lips, lest she wish to dig the hole further and was silently glad that she was now being dragged away to stand in formation with the rest of the Avengers. Loki snatched the camera from his not-brother who looked as though he had taken away his favourite toy, but joined the group nonetheless.

The trickster looked extremely at ease as though he took photographs of his enemies on a regular basis. He took a number as Tony continued to reposition them in different poses, running back and forth from the camera to view the outcomes.

"_Cappy _be honest" Tony asked Steve, turning his head sideways so he may view his profile "What's my best side?"

"I wasn't aware you had one" Captain America replied simply as Clint uttered "_Oh burn_"

They took a couple more shots, Tony draping himself over Steve in crude positions the latter trying to squirm away as Loki continued to take pictures until both Ironman and Captain America lay sprawled on the floor, Steve writhing away and seething as Tony continued to pose on the ground in what Natasha could only suppose were seductive stances.

Thor proclaimed that Loki should be in a photo, to which the dark haired prince declined instantly, commenting that he'd rather not wish to see himself in company of such, lest he wish his reputation become marred.

"Wouldn't want Doom to get _jelly_?" Tony asked still on the ground, his head propped up on his fisted hand in mock ponder "'Fraid he'll break your friendship bracelets?"

"And you call _me_insane?" Loki replied shaking his head slowly, his brow furrowed as he shot a look at Natasha, who had to stifle a smile. The trickster handed the camera back to Thor, who took it buoyantly and continued to take pictures of inanimate objects and pieces of wall.

JARVIS commented that he wasn't ready for his close up.

"Natasha?" Loki started next to her when they had retreated to the windows that look over the darkened city, she'd be lying if she didn't say the simple use of her name had not stirred something pleasant in her. She hummed in confirmation, not yet ready to trust her voice.

The pair stood away from the bickering group, Tony had returned back to teasing Steve who towered over him, his arms folded against his impressive chest. Bruce was making his third cup of camomile tea, and Clint was looking through the photos with Thor, commenting on the Thunderer's wonderful composition of the kettle and spoon.

Natasha looked up at Loki finally, meeting his emerald eyes; he seemed hesitant before placing an outstretched hand between them. It took a lot for her not to flinch, a common reflex she could not for the life of her get away from.

Her eyes once again raked down from his handsome face, with that goddamn_ stunning_jaw line, onto the green and gold tie with its intricate patterns, onto his lithe chest and then finally on his slender hand. She stared at it unsure of what Loki wished her to do with it, her gaze flicking back up to the emerald irises and smug smirk and then back to his hand.

"I procured something for you" Loki finally stated quietly, a shiver eliciting up her spine "I hear it's a common custom to do so when taking someone to a dance."

Natasha was about to deny any need of traditional and probably out-dated customs the God may have picked up during his time wreaking havoc on earth, but her breath suddenly caught as a corsage materialised in the Trickster's outstretched hand.

_Orchids_, Natasha noted her lips parted in surprise as her own fingers found the beautiful piece of floristry and delicately picked it up.

"It's beautiful" she murmured, a furious blush working up her cheeks, refusing to meet Loki's searching gaze. He hummed in agreement instead as Natasha's heart fluttered erratically against her chest.

And it_ hurt_.

These sudden waves of emotion she had found in the trickster god would surely be the death of her.

"Thank you" Natasha said finally, her voice wavering "You shouldn't have"

Loki scoffed as though she were being absurd, he plucked the corsage out of her fingers and took her left wrist lightly, tying it gently yet tightly with its golden ribbon, the petals tickling her skin pleasantly "Nonsense."

He gave her a warming smile that wormed away at her heart, a small smile rising on her lips as he continued to hold her hand between them.

They weren't even aware when Thor took a subtle picture.

* * *

**_A/N:_** Naww, good job Thor!  
I apologise, for the _huge_ delay, end of third semester, all my assignments were due.  
And then each time I sat in front of an empty word document, fingers itching over the key pad, I had a huge writer's block, and then my eye would start twitching. You know you have the idea in your head, and then you just can't do it justice in writing? Yeah, I had that.  
So, yes, this chapter is filled with fluffy Blackfrost feels, you know, the ones you've been demanding.  
I'm on holidays for the next two weeks, so I have time to write.  
The climax of the story is afoot! Stay tuned!

Thanks so much for all your kind reviews and follows and favourites, oh my!


	21. Deductions over some Kool-Aid

When Natasha had informed her purple haired friend of Thor's intentions to escort her to the dance, the girl had performed a wild hand gesture, arms flailing in front of her, and hands squeezing as though reaching out for something while squealing in delight like a child who had just been offered a treat.

Natasha had come to learn this as the normal behavior of one, Monica Winters.

When their limo pulled up, courtesy of SHIELD and Fury who wished to humour them (though Tony was the one who demanded it) in front of the Winters' impressive townhouse, Monica had practically dashed from the top landing of the stairs, in her heels and gown, before rushing into the side door of the car Natasha had just opened and brambling in uncouthly.

"Move! Move! Move!" Monica yelled at the driver as she slammed the door behind her, just in time to see a poignant elderly gentleman opening the doors to the townhouse and literally shaking his fist as the limo pulled away onto the busy road.

"_Ladies_" Monica stated smoothing down her silver blue dress with white lacing trimming the top and looking around at the occupants of the limo with a small demure smile. "Looking pretty all of you"

"What the _hell _was that Winters?" Natasha blurted looking back to the townhouse in case there was someone in pursuit, Monica waved her hand and made an impatient sound.

"Dad's butler" she answered carelessly "Didn't like the fact I may or may not have taken something that was otherwise not allowed to be in my possession"

"And that was?"

Monica grinned before pulling out a paper bag tucked underneath her arm and handing it to Tony who looked slightly startled at the sudden presentation "Tah Dah!"

"Is that…" Tony started taking the package carefully

"Oh yes"

"And its.."

"Yep"

Tony looked at her with a sudden amount of respect, before removing the long bottle from the bag and making orgasmic sounds as he did so, hugging it to his chest.

"Oh god" he stared addressing the bottle, wary of the four pairs of eyes that followed him. "Baby, you know I've missed you"

"It's Merlot" Monica stated smoothing down her purple strands which had been straightened "It's all I could grab in the time available to me. Gyles has been on my case ever since that incident last year with the Pinot and the local church gathering."

"Do I want to know?" Natasha asked blandly looking to her friend dully.

"Well, let's just say I saw the light" Monica answered slyly, before casting a wink at Loki who seemed somewhat amused at the proceedings "Hey _Romeo_"

Loki cocked an eyebrow "Hello Miss Winters"

"Will _we_see you on the dance floor tonight?"

"We?"

"General female population" Monica supplied with a grin "Got your dance card ready?"

"I wasn't aware you had need of one" Loki stated confusedly looking from Natasha to Thor, whom seem just as bewildered as he did, Tony was too busy murmuring soft words to his wine bottle to care.

"She's joking" Natasha interrupted quickly, shoving her elbow into her friend who yelped "All you have to do is throw yourself into an ocean of students and move your body"

Loki replied politely "How quaint", but she couldn't help but smirk at the look of disgust on his face.

She shut her eyes tightly as Monica jabbed in to the conversation "No worries Luke, you can just slow dance with Natasha" Again Natasha's elbow met with the purple haired pixy's stomach, but Monica was determined to be a nuisance, and gritted through a smile "You'll have to do it with the Spring Queen anyway if you win"

The Russian spy frowned slightly, she had forgotten all about the stupid competition to crown Marsden's most popular boy and girl. When it had come a time to vote the day before, she put off placing a name into the ballot box fervently, her pen swaying between the two Asgard prince's before finally casting her vote.

Hopefully Loki would never see his name ticked off in her signature handwriting.

Anonymous ballot though it was, Loki was far too clever for his own good.

She had voted one of the Athletic champions as Queen, anything_ other_than Kristin would just have to do despite how insufferable all the other nominations were.

Tony poured a glass of Merlot for each of them, using the small empty bar in the limo's interior, and humming a jaunty tune as he did so. Both Thor and Tony downed theirs in one go, while the rest sipped generously from theirs. Despite growing up in Russia, and basically surviving off vodka for most of her life while living there, she wasn't yet ready to trust her new immune system lest she wish herself to become like Stark had that night many weeks ago.

"You look hot Rushman" Monica whispered in her ear squeezing her shoulder slightly as they climbed out of the car in front of the school building "I can't wait to see those _bitches'_ faces when you walk in like _that_with freaking Luke on your arm. I have my camera phone ready"

Natasha laughed slightly but her nerves were beginning to grow as Loki offered his arm. She placed her arm lightly in his rolling her eyes at his smug little smirk and proceeded to the large assembly hall where the Fling would be taking place.

Monica followed with Thor and Tony on both her sides, arms entwined and looking everything the feminine pimp Natasha thought she would.

The street outside the school gates were filled with students and their own rather expensive vehicles, all the girls wore their gowns tailor fit while the male students had on their suits and bow ties. Natasha could pinpoint the clip ons from a mile away, and had to give a smile at the simple shirt one of the jocks wore, a suit like semblance printed on the front, his date glared at him angrily, her rouged cheeks purple with fury.

"How is your search by the way?" Loki asked carelessly as they wandered up the stairs to the entrance of the school building, Natasha's dress flowing effortlessly around her in waterfalls of emerald.  
A few of the male students were even peering at her admirable from behind their girlfriends' backs, she felt a small blush rise up her cheeks from the simple attention, but focused on her date nonetheless.

If truth be told her date was obviously the more desirable one to be with at any rate, not that she could deny it, not with those cheekbones and jawline. She was absolutely sure it was a crime against nature to just ignore such stunning structure.

And tonight those features were for her use.

Natasha shivered pleasantly before attempting to engage in conversation with her Trickster prince. _Her,_ she thought with an inward groan slightly frowning that she had used the claim of ownership and mentally slapped herself. Well _her _Trickster Prince for tonight, at least.

"You mean the girls?" Natasha asked with a small frown as Loki guided them past the locker rooms and library, following the drifting bunch of other students. Loki hummed in confirmation of the question "Well not to well, actually. We're running out of time for undercover investigation. There's only the four of us left, and once we revert back to our usual selves it will be hard to actually walk through this hallways for a closer look. We know it must be someone in the school, it's just figuring out whom"

Loki nodded thoughtfully but did not prompt the subject further, Natasha managed to spy the soft flicker of disappointment on his face before falling back into nonchalance. She couldn't help but wonder why the sudden change of emotion. Did Loki fear for the safety of mortal girls?

_No, _Natasha thought with an indecipherable shake of her head. Perhaps Loki was disappointed, because soon they would revert back to their normal states, and return to as they once were? As enemies?

Painful fluttering began circling in her chest once again as she studied his face side on, looking for any more clues into the truth.

If you hadn't guessed, the chances of decoding a master and God of Lies, is very much like teaching a chicken to moonwalk. Frankly, Natasha was certain she'd have more chance with the chicken.

She let it drop.

If Loki wished to inform her of something, he could do it himself; with some subtle prompting from her of course.

"You've gotta be kidding me" Tony groaned from behind them as they entered into the assembly hall "Did someone just go wild with theming or what?"

Natasha cringed at the sight as well of the newly decorated hall, with its circular ceiling and extravagant columns she was often connected with Grecian architecture. If it had been up to her, she would have displayed the charming architecture with pretty lights and shadows to help emphasise their classiness. As it were, she did not have any inclination or drive to sign up for the Spring Fling committee, not while it was domineered by the students she hated the most at its forefront.

There were streamers and paper chains everywhere, colours stuck between white and blue, and cardboard castles set up all around the large interior, blocking the pretty arches set into the walls. Blue and white balloons hung from the columns, and Natasha silently cringed at the thought that the stupid classmates had used tape on the white paint to stick them up, praying that they would be careful not to peel anything when taking them down.

She didn't know what she was getting so worked up about, but she couldn't deny that she was a sucker for beautiful architecture.

She looked around the room, the loud popular music muffling Tony's audible gasps and winces as they spied everything including the white lights, prop bridges, white benches with fake grass beneath them, even a bloody replica of a white carriage where one was to take their photos with their dates.

"Tacky themes" Monica groaned loudly and exaggeratedly looked up to the ceiling as though addressing a higher being "Is there no escape from our sufferings?"

Thor's face was one again scrunched up in adorable confusion, the expression that always made Natasha want to go up to the Thunderer and rub their cheeks together, not that she would ever admit it.

"I don't understand" Thor voiced looking around "What is the concept of this_ fling_, as you would so call it"

"Cinderella" Natasha answered suddenly, spying the large ice sculpture in the shape of a high heeled shoe where the small finger foods and punch were set up. Her voice took a sharper edge as she elaborated with narrowed eyes "This has Kristin written all over it, I'll be damned if she's not wearing a tiara and a blue and white dress to go along with it"

"Cinderella?" Loki asked in his own subtle air of confusion, his hands clasped behind his back as he also observed the large body of students, dancing together in a swarm of bodies with no thought to the rhythm whatsoever, Loki's eyes cringed in repulsion for the lack of formality "I believe I side with Theo on this in having no idea what it is you speak of"

"Really?" Monica asked suspiciously "You've _never _heard of Cinderella?"

Natasha laughed really quick as Loki moved to answer, interrupting his further probing and questions along with Thor's "It's probably called something different from where they grew up"

"Right…and where was that again?"

"Oh look" Tony started this time loudly, so everyone may look to him he pointed in a random direction to side-track everyone into looking "It's Ms Masters! Hello Ms Masters, looking stunning as always I may say"

Ms Masters, their pretty and young English literature teacher sidled up to them, wearing a dress of clingy black lace which just barely reached her knees and emphasised her curves dramatically. She gave a small pouty smile to Tony who grinned back only as the playboy billionaire ever did.

Natasha had always found herself on the end of one of those, less now when he realised that she worked for SHIELD. More so when they had both joined the Avengers and one again diminished when she had his neck in a choke hold for a near hour after he made a pointed and sexual statement about her working suit.

She was glad to admit she did not miss those sly smiles; Pepper had managed to wipe out those smiles and receive sincere and respectable ones far before she did, courtesy of whipping the Ironman into a far more distinguished man to date. Blatantly flirting with their English lit teacher made Natasha want to kick him where his manhood lived.

"Timothy" Ms Masters practically cooed with her heavy lidded eyes fluttering, a male student walked by silently getting an eyeful of her impressive cleavage and falling over one of the many white chairs "I hope you're all enjoying yourselves?"

A small murmur of confirmation passed through them, unenthusiastic to say the least. Ms Masters didn't seem to catch the mood however and instead lay attention on the God of Mischief, her eyes lighting up a certain extent when she caught sight of him.

"Luke!" She near purred, Natasha frowned slightly at the sudden lack of formality and the way her teacher was looking at her date.

_Retract your claws, retract your claws….  
_  
"You look handsome as always" Masters continued with a sultry smirk

_Will not punch in over bloated lips.  
_  
"Thank you Ms Masters" Loki replied easily with his own trademark smirk, you know, the ones that made girls weak in the knees at "You look very pretty tonight"

_Ha bitch! He called me beautiful and gave me this corsage and…why the hell am I getting so worked up?  
_  
Masters tittered and gave a small laugh; Monica nudged Natasha in the elbow and gave her a knowing look which she returned. Tony looked put out at the sudden lack of attention, and Thor just looked politely disconnected from what was going on around him instead returning waves and smiles to passing students.

"And who is this?" Masters asked now shaking her blonde curls away from her face, reminiscent of Kristen in so many ways it made Natasha psychologically ill. It was then she realised her English teacher was addressing her, that encouraged her frown even more.

"Ms Masters, it's me" Natasha answered, blinking furiously at the teacher's lack of remembrance "Natalie Rushman? I'm in your English Lit class with Luke"

"Oh" Ms Masters answered blinking owlishly as she looked Natasha up and down scrutinisingly "Ms Rushman of course, I didn't recognise you, you look so mature and…_youthful_"

Natasha nodded her head slowly once, tightening her grip on Loki's arm slightly and forcing an appreciative smile on her lips "Well, I am young"

The blonde haired teacher nodded slowly, the smile slowly rising back on her features. "Yes" she replied with a small laugh that Natasha swore didn't meet her eyes "Yes I suppose that is true. Carry on children"

Natasha returned a small laugh before dragging Loki off, he followed without complaint, the others tagging along behind them. They reached the small food table where she proceeded to pour herself some punch, Loki did it for her and handed it to her which she took with a small smile and murmured thanks.

"That English teacher often shows affection" Loki started as they turned to cast their gases back to where the bodies gyrated underneath the disco ball, the music quick and sporadic she could not even make out the words. She choked lightly on the punch as she realised what her date had just said, Monica gasped next to him.

"Seriously?" she asked her purple hair flying behind her as she stepped towards them with her own punch cup. Tony was stuck showing Thor how to use the ladle to pick up the apple chunks floating around in the red liquid. "Like how far, like illegal far?"

"I believe if I allowed her to get as far, she may have" Loki considered thoughtfully sipping delicately from his Styrofoam cup and still managing to look like a classy bastard "I denied any attentions she had however and kept it platonic"

"Tutors always admired Loki for his cleverness" Thor admonished in a loud whisper; Loki rolled his eyes and shook his head with a small smile. Natasha grinned, Loki liked having Thor's attention, it was obvious he had some left over _'big brother look at me!' _from his childhood left. If only he realised just how much Thor praised him when he wasn't there to listen…

"Yeah well that's kinda creepy" Monica replied with a shake of her head, before nudging Natasha once again and making her scowl.

"What?" Natasha hissed at her friend who was looking over her shoulder slyly, eyes flicking back and forth from whatever it was to Natasha. Shit eating grin lining her face as he nudged her head in the direction she was looking.

"Kristin looks none too pleased" Monica sang lightly, the black widow cracking her neck with the sudden movement as she gazed behind her. And what do you know; Kristin is in fact wearing a tiara. _Could she be any more of a pretentious bitch?  
_  
And god, that glare that bore holes from her overly made up eyes and face, silvery blonde hair tied back into an elegant knob at the back of her head, loose ringlets framing her face and pretty periwinkle blue dress adorning her well-structured body. Natasha would think she looked quite agreeable if it weren't for the look of distain painted on her face, as though someone had just offered her a healthy serving of dog shit right in front of her painted lips.

"It's the price of being good-natured" Natasha answered sarcastically, throwing the girl and her gatherers a sweet smile and waving her hand in mock friendliness. The glower deepened and so too did Kristen's friends, their poor dates left to stand around awkwardly and wonder why the temperature surrounding their partners had just dropped dramatically.

Kristen pulled on the arm of her date, dragging him off and making him slosh the drink he was holding on the ground with a small yelp. The hyena pack followed after their alpha, along with their prey.

Natasha rolled her eyes and turned back to Monica, staring at each other for a singular moment before bursting out into a fit of giggles mixing in with the loud song blaring through the halls, the laughter and screeches of other students participating in their rites of passage.

"Friends look!" Thor exclaimed, catching sight of the prop carriage where a professional camera had been set up to take pictures of Fling-goers. Natasha swore she could see an invisible tail wagging excitedly behind the Thunderer, imagined ears pricking up in sudden alarm and eagerness "There are photograph machines here as well!"

* * *

**A/N:** This chapter is slightly longer, and had to be split into two. So there will be, in fact, two more chapters.  
Huzzah. Any guesses who the culprit is? I've made it fairly obvious in this one. (Hint: look for the italics)

Thank you thank you thank you for all the wonderful reviews I have recieved, and the continous flow of faves and follows :) Will update in the following week, most likely.


	22. Kings and Queens

Let it be known Loki can recite poetry.

Let it be known that he rides a motorcycle.

Let it be known the trickster has an artist's mind, he likes to read complicated novels, he dresses like a GQ model, he has amazing hair, he's intelligent and humorous and….

"_He can dance_"

Natasha nodded slowly, the punch cup in her hand halfway between her mouth and neck, her mouth slightly agape as she watched her date practically ignite the dance floor. Monica stood next to her panting slightly, cheeks flushed with the erratic dance moves she had been using with Tony, who seemed to still be going at it alone.

The former spy had declined the offer of dancing from her friend and instead chose to watch from the sidelines while Monica dragged the boys off into the fray of swaying and eager bodies. She watched as Loki and Thor had stood awkwardly in the midst of people, eyebrows cocked incredulously and looking at one another with something resemblant of amusement.

Tony and Monica instantly got into the beat, maybe a little _to_enthusiastically, as a small splash zone had formed around them.

Natasha watched carefully as the song changed into a remix of one of the more recent and popular songs, a chorus of "_wub wub wub_" making her wince and sip from her punch, chewing slowly on an apple piece which had circulated into her mouth. She stood on her tip toes as people obscured her view of the Asgardian Princes, before moving around them and craning her neck.

Damn she wished she were tall.

Unfortunately her older self, agreed with the sentiment.

Forever doomed to peer over heads.

Natasha caught the trickster prince's face through the sea of students; he was leaning towards his brother and whispering something into the Thunderer's ear, a wicked grin so reminiscent of the Loki she had always known, lining his face.

And that's when shit went down.

And by shit, Natasha meant glorious and inhumanely beautiful dancing.

Loki was like a snake, his twists and twirls and the flashing of ethereally lighted and mirrored globes made the God appear as fascinatingly extra-terrestrial as he had been the first time Natasha had laid eyes on him. His dark hair swayed in rhythm around his head like a dark halo, his eyes heavy lidded and flashing green as the intelligent lights met them.

He was for all words, _dangerous_.

And he was, without a doubt, _beautiful_.

Thor used a blunter technique which suited him justly as he moved in synchronisation with Loki, small moves and gestures of their bodies changing their stances in different places, but not once dropping the ball. Thor was grinning brightly at Loki who returned his brother with a small smile, focus and determination illuminating from them as the younger lunged forward as Thor crouched down, Loki's feet quickly climbing his brother's frame and jumping off as Thor suddenly raised himself. The trickster mid-air from the leap off his brother kicked his back leg over his head and performed a complicated somersault before landing gracefully on the ground.

People cheered and whooped, applauding and catcalling the two princes whom continued their dance without a care.  
It was then that Natasha realised that it was not a dance at all.

This was a_ fight_.

A thoroughly choreographed fight placed against the modern thumping of loud music and coming off as simply astounding and awe inspiring.

"He can dance" Monica repeated next to her breathlessly, swiping a hand across her forehead and breaking into a bright beam "They can dance! Theo to! Look at that synchronisation! How long do you think they've been practising this?"

"Centuries" Natasha answered shaking her head slowly "And Millennia's probably"

"Looks like!" Monica cried writing her friend's reply off as a joke "I never realised how close they are!"

Natasha peered at her friend from the corner of her eye, unsure of how to counter the statement she remained silent, pressing her lips firmly together and looking back out into the dance floor just as Thor performed a high kick where Loki's face had been moments before, the trickster leaning backwards into a near impossible pose to avoid it.

"Shit, he's flexible" Monica murmured more to herself then to Natasha "And to think I can only reach my toes on a good day"

The routine was beautiful, there was no doubt about it. Natasha generally pondered over how long the two brothers' must have worked on it to get it so down pact, to be so at one and in tune with one another. It was so easy to forget that Loki was Thor's brother, adopted or not, whilst facing each other across a bloody terrain.

They had spent lifetimes beside each other.

Thor (often after indulging in one to many bottles from Tony's liquor cabinet) would always have the urge to retell stories of childhood adventures, conquests and journey's as a young man growing up as a Prince in Asgard.

In all of them Loki had been present.

Thor's eyes would sometimes glaze over as he recalled a moment where the dark haired prince had managed to pull him and their companions out of the trouble they had found themselves in time and time again. The way his eyes would crinkle as he recalled a funny statement Loki had made when tending to wounds and abrasions with his magic, a scowl on his face like a fussing mother as he scolded his brother for not thinking before acting. The journeys they had been on looking out for one another, playing together in the halls, driving the thralls insane with their mischief.

The stories often made the other Avengers smile, as Thor became so enthusiastically loud in his remembrance.

It was hard to believe that the boy Thor spoke of, the one who used to steal sweets from the kitchens to share the spoils with the golden haired prince, the time he presented an injured magpie to his brother and begged him to help fix its wing, the boy whom humiliated himself simply to make his older brother smile when bed ridden, was the same one who had caused so much death and destruction.

A harsh silence followed after each retelling when Thor had subconsciously realised how some of his stories and memories retraced where Loki's festering hate had begun.

Thor often left the room shortly after that, leaving the air thick with tension.

But now?

The smile on Thor's face was brilliant, of youthful ignorance and reminiscence.

_That would only make it harder in the end_; Natasha thought as a heavy weight dropped in her chest. Only makes their situation harder, Thor was already as compromised as he could be. He didn't _need _this.

And it was then Natasha recalled how _cruel _Loki could be.

How he would possibly twist this to suit his own purposes, and how much she wished to rave and scream at him to just let go of his hatred and forgive and repent and just simply be.  
Because watching them now? It was obvious that without Loki, there was no Thor.

_And vice versa_, she mused looking down into the red liquid of her cup, her furrow crinkling unattractively.

If only things had been different.

If only their father hadn't screwed up so magnificently perhaps there would be two Norse deities in the Avengers.

They would be _invincible._  
Both God's working together and supporting one another? All the other super villains in the world wouldn't stand a _chance._

Unfortunately, fate was cruel. So many '_what ifs' _it made Natasha's head spin that she could only imagine all the pent up guilt Thor drowned himself in, but she supposed he had Jane Foster to confide in.

Who did Loki have?

"What's wrong Nat; you're looking kind of put out?" Monica inquired, concern lacing her voice and face

Natasha quickly looked at her lavender haired friend, forcing a quick smile on her face and shaking her head hurriedly "Nothing"

"You sure?"

"Yeah just thinking" she answered slowly, raising the cup back to her lips and sipping delicately.

_Thinking sucks_; Thinking just makes everything so much more complicated than it should be. And so if Loki raised an eyebrow in question to her silent form and she gave a small smile in answer, none could be the wiser right?

Monica gushed over both Asgardian Prince's once returning to their side, their pretty faces unmarred by mortal concepts of perspiration and sweat. _Lucky bastards_.

Tony had already shucked off his coat and pulled out his Stark pad, settling in a white folded chair and blatantly stating that he had had his fun and would now like to sit in silence for the rest of the night reading Wikipedia posts and changing them to fit his humour.

No one complained, least of all Natasha.

She found that a good Stark was a silent one and so left him to his own devices.

As the party raged on Thor found himself being dragged away by his basketball team and the gaggle of athletic girls whom cooed his suit adorned body. Once in a while a girl went past and greeted Loki coyly, but Loki simply smiled declined any invitation and stuck to the Black Widow's side.

When asked if he knew the girl he shrugged in nonchalance and stated that they all looked the same to him.

Natasha felt a slight pang of pride in knowing that she was the minority that did not fit this quota. When Monica asked if she did, Loki looked at her as though a complete stranger and asked her what her name was again.

"Not cute" Monica grumbled at Natasha who quietly sniggered as Loki smirked, dragging a hand through his perfect black locks.

Once you get over the tacky decorations and really bad music, the fling wasn't half as bad as she had expected it to be.

Though the fact that she had a thousand year old, extremely handsome God hanging off her every word, probably lifted the weight off her enjoyment scale and she appreciated it greatly when his eyes flashed dangerously each time a random male student would ask her to dance.

She was half inclined to accept the third boy whom asked, if just to see what Loki would do.

It was fun to see him jealous, but to save blood splattering up the beautiful columns of the hall, she controlled herself and declined politely. A strange growl issued from the tricksters throat when the boy's tried to press on and ended up fleeing away in a blur.

Natasha had to resist the urge to pet him on the head.

It was when she and Monica were in the middle of a conversation about hair dyes that a teacher on the hall's stage rose to the podium and cleared their throat loudly in the microphone. People moaned and cringed after a heavy amount of feedback screeched through the sound system, the music shutting off completely to allow the announcement to be made.

"I hope you're all having fun" the teacher, Natasha recognised as the Principal from his shiny bald patch "It's also good to see the fruit drink is yet to be spiked-"

"A crying shame" Tony muttered not taking his eyes away from his tablets lit up screen

"-and that everyone seems relatively like they're having a good time!"

A murmur of consent filled the hall unenthusiastically

"Now you must all be wondering why I have interrupted the celebrations, and it is to inform you that it is now time to select our Spring Fling King and Queen!"

Audible excitement now filled the hall, the ambience growing louder as people murmured to each other and the nominees were called up to the stage.

"Good luck" Monica sang in Loki's ear as he made to leave, sharing a quick look with Natasha that looked far to foreboding for her tastes. It was a look which said all too clearly _"I know something that you don't" _And it made her legs tremble in trepidation.

The trickster was behaving far too well for a God of Mischief.

Natasha narrowed her eyes as they tracked his movements to the stage, people clapping his back as he strode past and giving comforting words of luck and fortune.

He stood beside Thor whom had his trademark blindingly beatific smile in place, the other two nominees paling in comparison when standing next to the Norse Gods of mythology.

This was no longer a competition, but sibling rivalry, and Natasha was sure every other person in the hall knew it.  
All lights were set on the stage, caking everyone else in hushed darkness.

"And the King of Spring Fling is…" The Principal said allowed rustling with an envelope and making a show of opening it very slowly, a drum roll making its way through the hall. Natasha did not even realise she was holding her breath, like some lovesick girlfriend.

Monica was starting a chant next to her _"Luke, Theo, Luke, Theo…."_

The Principal raised his eyes from the page and looked into the crowd with a grin "Mr Johnson…"

Silence; _shit which one_?

"…Luke!"

Deafening applause and wolf whistles rang through the auditorium as Loki stepped forward with a smug smile, Thor clapping his brother on the back and smiling at him proudly. _Trust Thor to be proud older brother_, Natasha thought releasing her breath and clapping along with the rest, smile pasted across her face broadly.

Loki was given a plastic sceptre and crown which he took in feigned amusement, settling in his dark locks and looking even more like royalty then he usually did.

Well if Thor got to be King of Asgard; Loki _should _be King of Spring Fling.

She giggled lowly at her own thoughts, the crowd settling down as the Queen nominees took to the stage and Loki sat in the decorative throne with something akin to embarrassment clashed with a healthy dose of pride.

Kristin stood next to her fellow nominees, her chin held high in confidence. Her pretty blue dress was eye catching, infuriatingly so compared to the others whom were still nicely adorned, but lacking the same aesthetic pleasantness that Kristin radiated.

Cheers of motivation erupted from the crowd for each nominee. Natasha's eyes roved to the Principal whom held the envelope aloft and was in the precent of announcing the winner when her eyes suddenly caught onto the emerald irises of the God of Mischief, who was staring straight back at her.

The smile on his lips broadened and Natasha's insides dropped.

_"He did not!" _is what she gasped just as the Principal stated "And the Spring Fling Queen is…."

_No, no, no, no….._

"Natalie Rushman!"

_Crap._

* * *

**A/N:** Natasha got _Loki'd!  
_  
Real life deters my writing, and the other stories I'm currently caught up in.  
When the plot bunnies are jumping, I throw myself in the hole after them. This ends in me hitting myself over the head and demanding I finish this one before I lose myself in anything else.  
I love your reviews, I think they're wonderful, and I love the blatant ones that simply state "NEXT"  
_Ima comin' Mumma!_

FYI

over 300 reviews! And 45,000 views for this story! My ego is flailing everywhere!

Two more chaps to go? I think? I'm looking at my plotpoints and estimating, but I always sucked with probability...

Thank you for all the follows and faves and reviews, you guys make my day! It just makes me happy to know people do actually enjoy my writing and plots, so thank you thank you thank you! xD


	23. Shut up Adele

Natasha stood like a block of ice.

The silence that had entire the hall was deafening (except for Tony who had started to clap and whoop with enthusiasm at the sudden change of events.) That's when the other students started to mumble, their gazes searching around for the one named Natalie. She _had_ been slightly invisible to most of the student body, so she wasn't in the least bit surprised when some of the gazes swept over her before backtracking to the pointed fingers that were aimed her way.

Loki was still smiling from where he sat on the stage, all too proud that he had managed to surprise the Black Widow with such a display.

The principal was looking at the nominees on stage waiting for one of them to come and collect their crown, but was met with vacant and confused faces. Kristin was practically spewing steam, her glare latching onto the immobile Natasha, gritting her teeth soundly as the red head continued to gape.

Monica let out a small incomprehensible noise that was half way between a bark of laughter and a whimper, Natasha met her horrified gaze and she managed a forced encouraging smile. Natasha could not return it even as the Principal called out her name once more.

"Natalie Rushman?" He asked through his microphone, eyes searching the murmuring crowd with a resigned air "Miss Rushman _please_ come up to the stage and collect your crown"

Natasha started when a body behind her pushed her into the fray of people, the student body moving back to make her a path as the figure steered her through, still cheering.

"Yeah! Give it up for Rushman!" Tony yelled forcing her stiff body through the crowd "Make way, Queen coming through!"

"Tony what…" she muttered feebly as he strode her up the stairs and onto the stage right up to the podium where the Principal stood with a small smile, the students still murmuring like a swarm of angry bees ready to charge. There were a few small claps that followed her, but people were to shocked in the breach of votes to really show any enthusiasm.

She shot a glare at Loki who was trying his hardest to supress that smug little smirk she had gotten to know so well. Tony pet her on the back with another whoop and jumped off the stage.

She turned to the principal whom raised a bushy eyebrow.

"I am so sorry for this" she stated quietly wringing her hands slightly and trying not to look at the other nominees whom were currently in their own imaginings of tackling her into the decorations.

To her surprise the principal shrugged and muttered wearily _"Like I give a shit"_ before turning back to his microphone with forced enthusiasm "Natalie Rushman everybody!"

Hesitant applause rang through the crowd, but it was loud enough to be called confirmation to their new queen, especially with Thor's thunderous claps. She did in fact hear a few catcalls which made a steady flush rise to her cheeks embarrassingly as the tiara was placed into her red locks and she was given a plastic sceptre in silver.

"Why you little…" she seethed sitting down in her own throne and leaning to where Loki sat regally watching the students start to dance once again in pure amusement. The other nominees huffed off the stage, but none quite as impressive as Kristin's own taut figure which aimed another fiery glare at Natasha before leaving in a sweep of blue skirt.

"No need to thank me" Loki cut in before she could begin her curses

"_Thank you_?" she hissed "You've humiliated me in front of the whole school!"

"Oh please" he replied calmly, his green eyes flashing to her "You don't really care what these mortals think do you? _So unbecoming of a Queen…"_

"You do realise that this isn't actually real right? That we don't really get any benefits apart from the title?"

"I'm not ignorant Natasha. I do realise that we wear uniformed plastic on our heads just to prove that we count in the eyes of these hormone raged adolescents" the trickster complied with a gesture of his hand "This is _all_ pointless, and you will realise that to. Honestly, I thought you may have realised it already having lived through it before"

"Oh, so there's a point to why you screwed with the ballot votes?"

"I always have my reasons"

She sat back in her throne and looked to him through narrowed eyes "What's the reason then?"

A smirk once again lifted his mouth with a small chuckle "The point that I'm trying to convey darling Widow, is that this passage of woe, _of adolescence_, it is simply a blight in history. Why should you care what people may think of you when in a couple of years they won't even remember you?"

Natasha blinked slowly, her brow furrowing in mixed confusion as Loki shifted the sceptre in his hands like a baton "Why would you think I care?"

"You _are_ quite transparent in your newfound youth" he allowed tilting his head complacently "What I've found during my time here is that everyone wishes to be noticed in some way; _remembered_ for lack of a better word. My brother is renowned for his skill in sports; Tony for being an infuriating rebel without cause, your little friend dies her hair purple to stand out from the crowd..."

"And me?" she asked quietly, eliciting a dark chuckle from the God of Mischief

"You are _Queen_. Now when years have passed and no one remembers your face in this dowdy stream of mortal life, you will be remembered as their Queen. You will _never_ be forgotten"

The ice that had once encased Natasha's chest shattered, warmth engulfing her body like a furnace.  
She knew her face had grown a bright red and she was damned if Loki's muttered sentiment of _beetroot_ was going to sway this sudden influx of emotion.

"That's actually really sweet" she murmured now, slightly taken by how much Loki was able to understand the psychology of mortals, pushing past the silent fear that came with it as well. He smiled brilliantly at her, and if she didn't know any better, she could swear the tinges of pink were appearing on his pale cheeks.

"Well, one can't be deceiving all the time" Loki allowed, gaze downcast as he looked away, obviously pleased with himself.

Natasha snorted shaking her head and looking back into the masses of the student body, swaying and singing along with the song, she spied Thor dancing with Monica and Tony and wished to grab Loki's hand and go down and join them.

"Alright you two" the principal stated, breaking away from a number of teachers and heading over to the school's chosen (_if a little bit forced_) Queen and King of Spring Fling. "You have to lead the dance in the next number, try and soppy it up a bit for the school cameras. We want big mooning eyes and shy smiles for our brochures, so _try_ not to stuff it up."

"Wait" Natasha interrupted, earning a scowl from the Principal "A dance? We have to dance? Together?"

"Yes, why? Is there a problem?"

"We'd be delighted" Loki stated before Natasha could verse her concerns.

Just because she was getting warm fuzzy feelings for the guy did not mean, in any way, that she was ready to stand in close proximity with him. Already she felt her legs grow infuriatingly wobbly.

She managed to stammer out a few incoherent syllables before Loki's cool hand took hers and raised her to her feet. Their plastic sceptres laying forgotten on their fake thrones.

"Students of Marsden High, we proudly introduce your King and Queen of Spring Fling, Luke Johnson and Natalie Rushman" The principal declared through the speaker system once more, the students breaking off and huddling to form a large ring in the middle of the floor as directed by the teachers.

Loki led her slowly down the stages steps, smiling lightly as the student body applauded just as the start of a slow moving ballad started through the floor.

_So cliché_, Natasha's mind chided her, _so cliché!_

They stopped in the middle of the ring, turning to one another, Natasha's face crumpling in unease and anticipation as Loki placed his hands on her hips. She had to force the natural reaction to slap them away, instead cautiously placing  
her hands onto the lean muscle of his shoulders lightly as they began to move and sway around the floor, like liquid in a current.

Natasha kept her eyes downcast as they swayed, not trusting herself to react accordingly if she were to meet Loki's eyes. She glanced up through her peripheral to find that the trickster prince wasn't looking at her either, looking instead over her shoulder as they moved their bodies expertly.

_He's just as uncomfortable as you are_, she realised suddenly, her heart spurring dramatically as their eyes finally found  
each other in mutual understanding. That's when she knew suddenly how very right this felt, this close proximity that they had been forced into.

She recognised that perhaps it had been a long time coming. To finally accept that in these sudden bouts of fancy she was feeling, there was an underlying admiration that may have been there since the first time she had spied him in Stuttgart so many years ago.

The music picked up and the cameras flashed, but in that moment Natasha could care less. Her blue eyes are latched onto her dance partners emerald gaze and they move slowly for the first half of the song, ignoring everything else around them. Their bodies are perfectly fitted together.

Natasha could see the amused curl of Loki's lips, and her eyes flickered down to it for a fraction of a second, but it was enough for the trickster to convey that he understands what she is suddenly thinking of.

Others joined into the dance around them, so they were no longer the sole focus of the student body's attention, which Natasha thinks is perfect seeing as Loki suddenly leant in closer, their foreheads touching lightly as he bent his neck.

Her heart sped up erratically, her eyelids fluttering at the intimate contact as she felt the slightest brush of his lips on hers.

_That's when everything fell to shit._

Without realising what she was doing, reality came crawling back like a slap in the face. She pushed him away and fled in a sweep of emerald skirts.

Her head hurt as she pushed through a throng of students, ignoring the advances from Thor, Tony and Monica with a lifted hand and a growled _"Don't"_

They stopped where they stood, watching her stride away into the sea of students.

Natasha reached the punch table, snatching up a Styrofoam cup and hoping to the heavens that someone had finally spiked it, just so the influence of alcohol could muffle the spinning swirl of thoughts that clogged up her mind.

She filled up her cup with the red punch and drank it quickly, disappointed by the lack of hard liquor she would have definitely found in a public school's dance and filled it up once more hoping the sugar would perhaps deter her thoughts.

_She_ had almost kissed _Loki_.

_Loki_ had almost kissed _her._

The memory of lips upon hers, the flutter of a butterflies wings spurred her hand to reach up to touch her lips lightly before groaning loudly and letting it drop.

_This was on her_, Natasha knew.

She had allowed the trickster to get to close. Had allowed him to breach those walls she had placed up around herself in the many years that had passed.

He was her enemy. So why did she feel as if he were the only one who could understand her?

No doubt he was furious, afterall she had just abandoned him on the floor alone.

Guilt racked up her body as she brought the cup to her lips and gulped down the liquid greedily.

She should be thinking about the Avengers, about SHIELD and Fury, she wondered what her friends expressions would be.

Would she see disappointment in Tony's face? Pity in Thor's eyes for both her and his little brother? Anger? Regret at thinking she were suitable to join the Avengers when she had so clearly been compromised? That she was actually considering striding back to their enemies arms and tackling him to the ground in something not as_ tepid_ as a light peck on the lips?

She thought of Clint, and how betrayed he would be if he knew his long time friend was romantically pursuing the same man whom had him under his control and the Tesseract's will. He had killed friends and fellow agents under Loki's demands.

He had tried to kill _her_.

It was all so confusing and so she could be perfectly honest that it was not exactly the right point in time for Kristin and her band of lackey's to suddenly surround her.

"You bitch" Kristin started, poison etched in her voice. Natasha rolled her eyes impatiently, placing down her cup back onto the table and meeting the girl's angry glare. "You think you're _special?_ You're a _liar_ and a _fake_. Just wait till I prove that you tampered with the ballot votes, what I promised before is _nothing_ considering what I'm going to do now."

"_Please_, tell me" Natasha asked dryly, not really giving a shit for the words spewing forth from the girl's mouth "You don't think me worth the title of High School Queen?"

"I don't think you're worth _anything_" Kristin spat back, sparking the suddenly violent flame in Natasha "And you're going to regret that you crossed me, starting with your little purple haired _freak_ of a friend..."

_Don't do it!_ A voice chided in her mind, another chiming in with a sound, _for fuck's sake do it!_

And it was with that Natasha nodded calmly at that bitch's face, turned around quickly grabbing the punch bowl in both hands and swinging it around to throw all of its contents onto Kristin's pretty figure.

An audible gasp was heard in their surroundings as Kristin stood, her hands splayed in front of her as though to ward off the attack, her blonde hair tinged pink with the liquid, her beautiful dress soaked and ruined, and her eyes widened with shock.

Her lackey's had all shrieked and moved away from the backlash of the liquid hitting their friend, their hands moving up to their opened mouths in silent terror.

It took a moment for Kristin to comprehend what had just happened, and without a second thought she screamed shrilly like a pterodactyl. Natasha winced slightly at the volume, but overall seemed undeterred by the turn of events.

"_Oops_" she stated with a sly smile even as the eyes of bystanders turned to her in amazement, she clucked her tongue "_My bad_"

* * *

She was dragged away from the scene by a firm grip on her upper arm, half aware that it was teacher leading her through the throng of bewildered students having just watched the girl, just crowned Queen, dumping the contents of the punch bowl all over their most popular girl, and living to tell the tale.

The teacher was reprimanding her sternly for her conduct as she was lead out through the doors of the auditorium and steered willingly down the corridors. They entered the school library where she was told to sit in one of the wooden chairs and wait for another teacher to come and deal with her before leaving.

Natasha sat silently, her mind blank as she studied the wooden arm of the chair, tracing the sways of the wood with a finger and refusing to acknowledge what she had just done. She raised her head dutifully as the doors to the library swung open once more, a tall figure with an ample bosom entering the sullen presence of the book stacks and writing desks.

Natasha recognised Ms Masters instantly and sighed, ready for the rant that would no doubt burst forth from her English teacher's mouth.

So sure was she of this, it was with little concern that the golden haired beauty locked the doors behind her.

* * *

**A/N: **So, I'll just leave this here? Yes?  
This chapter feels to rushed to me and there were a lot of mistakes I had to fix up.  
(I've been practicing writing in second person, and it sort of escaped into this chapter) So I apologise for any mistakes!

I also edited the chappy before, realising that Loki's last name was Johnson not Owenson, prior to one of the earlier chapters. Ooops.  
Tell me what you thought and how much you hate me for leaving it like this xD

Thanks for reading!

**+ This chap was reloaded because I kept switching between present and past tense**


	24. Fight for the Right

**Warnings of some violence. But ehh.**

* * *

"Look" Natasha started impatiently with a small shake of her head, Ms Masters was approaching slowly, her heels clicking on the linoleum ground each step she took. "I realise I may have over stepped my boundaries…"

"It was rather cruel" the woman said, flicking back the long blonde hair that rested on her shoulder "Poor Miss Dennis worked extra hard on her outfit, as well as practically placing this whole dance together. Along with the ballot votes for Spring Queen having been tampered with when she had worked so hard on her campaign"

_Ouch_, Natasha winced slightly, _way to lay on the guilt_

"I had no idea about the ballot votes. Honestly I was just as surprised as everyone else"

She looked up to see Ms Masters looking down at her thoughtfully, tapping a long nailed finger against her lip in contemplation, so she forced herself to continue "This whole thing with Kristin was just blown out of proportions. I shouldn't have acted the way I did and I will pay for any damage I may have caused." She took a breath and added through gritted teeth "And apologize to her"

_God_ she hoped someone took a photo of Kristin, _who was she kidding?_Monica would have a whole photo album of the occurrence.

"That's very mature of you Miss Rushman" Masters agreed with a churlish smile, Natasha ceased the tapping of her nails on the wooden chair she was seated on swearing she caught a flash of yellow in the woman's eyes but shaking it off quickly. Perhaps the punch _had_been spiked? "You will still need to be punished of course"

"Yes Ms Masters" The former assassin sighed "What kind of punishment? Detention? Lines? Community service?.."

"Oh I was thinking of something a little more unorthodox"

A confused smile graced Natasha's face "Unorthodox?"

"Hmm yes" the blonde haired woman agreed with a nod, before moving forward further to where her student sat, shifting suddenly in her seat "See I've been having a problem, haven't been feeling quite myself"

Silence met this statement, Natasha could hear the clock above the library counter clicking dolefully, the large expanse of room was bathed in darkness, creeping between the high book shelves and disappearing into the depths of the library. A single row of panel lights were all that illuminated where Natasha sat and Ms Masters stood.

"Oh?" she replied hesitantly, her hackles raising as she sensed something dangerous brewing "I'm sorry to hear that"

A hum answered in the back of the teachers throat "How kind of you. See I've been feeling rather worn, weary you may call it. It's all so tedious but each time I try to fix the problem, it just comes back"

"Perhaps you should see a doctor"

"It's not that kind of illness I'm afraid"

Natasha bit her lip, eyes flashing to the exit "So it's emotional?"

"Not quite"

"Psychological?"

"No"

"I'm confused Ms Masters" Natasha laughed lightly, her voice wavering slightly.

She had no weapons to defend herself with, and whilst she may be able to back hand the teacher around a bit, there was obvious power hidden beneath the surface of this woman. If her senses were correct, she had just stumbled into the same position that the school girls had before her, and if that assumption was correct, it also meant she was in _deep shit_

"What are you suffering from then?"

A white row of teeth, hidden beneath blood red lips surfaced grinning manically down at her "A curse"

Natasha kicked out into the woman's abdomen hitting it with a nicely aimed impact before scrambling off her chair as Masters bent over with a sharp exhale. She ran to the door, stumbling slightly over her gown but was suddenly tackled into the linoleum floor, with a sickening smack.

She felt something moist on her forehead as the blonde teacher manoeuvred her onto her back, surprisingly strong considering her stature.

Natasha panicked flailing outwards with a number of curses and grunts "Get off me you _bitch!_"

Masters clucked her tongue like she would chastising a child, fending off Natasha's kicking legs an pinning them to the floor with her own. "Language Miss Rushman, do try to remember you are still in school"

"Fuck that" Natasha managed to blurt out managing to free a hand and punch the woman in the face with a nauseating crack. She tried to squirm out from the now groaning woman, flipping back onto her stomach to try an worm herself away, the wetness on her head dripping down the side of her temple, making her head spin.

She tried to lift herself from the ground, ripping her dress slightly as her heel snagged roughly onto the thin material; she staggered and found herself once again on the ground, a hand matted into her red locks, dragging her painfully across the library lobby and back towards where she had been seated just moments before.

She screamed more curses lashing out and trying to revert back to SHEILD training, but in her de-aged body it was much harder than it used to be despite her claims that she still had her usual skill set.

That didn't mean she stopped trying. Moving forwards she jumped onto Masters, locking her legs around her waist and flipping her with all the strength she could muster.

The English teacher fell to the floor with a growl, Natasha performing a small twirl so she landed crouched on the ground, leg splayed outwards and red locks falling in front of her face.

The blonde haired woman didn't need any recovery time and instantly back on her feet lunging towards Natasha with an inhuman shriek. The red haired teen stalled momentarily trying to dodge the attack, but found herself once again thrown hard on her back, she yelled out at the impact, Masters body crushing hers to the floor.

"Why?" Natasha asked squirming

"Because you're young" the woman answered, her lip smeared with not only the red lipstick but also the blood streaming from her split lip. "You teenagers take so much for granted. All so interested in little things with little meanings. Not really a life worth living if you ask me. I believe my cause is much more desirable."

"What _cause_?" Natasha gritted out through her teeth as the teacher tugged her hair, exposing her neck

"You wouldn't understand"

"Try me"

Masters smiled mechanically "The more youth I have, the more immortality. Soon enough when _he_comes to claim waste on this planet, it will be less easy for me to perish. A vain goal I know, but one must keep up with the passing phases. Those girls before you, there youth has been saved into one vessel, they would all die in the looming battle, but now all of them will save at least one"

"You're a coward" Natasha spat, confused by what the woman was ranting about. Who was _he_? What_ battle_?

There was no time to ponder however, not when the woman was lowering herself downwards with a snarl.

"I'm being productive" she snapped, her fingers sparking suddenly with a luminous red as Natasha struggled more fiercely despite her now spinning head resulting from blood loss "And now you're going to help me"

Before Natasha could react the sparking hand was placed against her forehead, a numb wash of feeling spread over her just as she began to choke, something forcing its way out of her mouth, begging to be released.

"_No_" she gasped as the feeling continued, her limbs slacking from their movements and falling limply to the ground as Masters chanted under her breath.

_Crap_, she thought not being able to help the whimper that escaped.

Her body was losing energy, a feeling so foreign to her the simple notion made tears prickle the back of her eyes. Never had she felt so _weak_.

A loud noise paused the proceedings, Ms Masters looking up her eyes widening and her chant halting in its tracks as a resounding "HEY!" was yelled

Just as quickly as it went, Natasha gained all her energy back in that simple hesitation, like a rush of adrenaline sweeping through her, as though waking up after a long and rejuvenated sleep.

She pushed the shocked woman off her with a yell, before once more scrambling up and making a dash to nearest book stack and disappearing into the shadows, but not before catching Tony being flung sideways into a wall through magic and crumpling into a heap on the floor.

Monica who had been standing next to him shrieked before jumping over the library desk and hiding from sight.

Natasha gasped slightly, her steps hesitating before Ms Masters turned around, her eyes coloured an alien yellow, and her teeth bared, pointed like a sharks.

_So, not human_, Natasha acknowledged dodging the fireball aimed her way and lunging into the shadows of the stacks trying not to think about the former Ironman lying exposed and unconscious on the floor and her very mortal teenage friend hiding behind the loan desk.

Natasha dashed further into the book cases, her heart pounding and her eyes twitching to remain open whatever it took.

Ms Masters was calling for her, the sickly sweet voice echoing off the high domed ceilings and vast emptiness. She called for her as though a misbehaving child and the though made Natasha shrivel inside, knowing just how easily it must have been to catch the other girls unaware under the pretence of authority.

She hid behind one of the cement pillars, separating the stacks, peering out behind one to see Ms Masters stalking through the adjacent stacks, her eyes glowing a sickly mustard in the darkness. Natasha held her breath as she passed, hoping beyond hope that she would not be caught.

She relaxed as soon as Ms Masters was out of sight, and started backing away, spinning around and crashing her face into something warm, she may have shrieked if it weren't for the hand clapping across her mouth. Her wide eyes met those of emerald and instantly her shoulders drooped with relief.

"_Loki_" she breathed, not able to keep the obvious happiness from her voice.

The trickster seemed to pick up on it and smiled easily before lifting a finger to his lips in gesture of keeping silent.

Natasha nodded, looking quickly over her shoulder in the direction Masters had disappeared, and letting Loki take her hand in his and leading her cautiously through the stacks, peering around each corner.

They crouched down at the end of one, closer to the foyer where Masters had previously trapped her and attempted to suck out her youth. Over the corners and bindings of books she could just spy Tony lying unconscious on the ground and Monica still out of sight, _no doubt cowering in fright_.

Her heart went out for the purple haired girl. She should have never been involved in this circus.

"How did you find me" she asked Loki quietly, they were closely crouched together, their hands still entwined in each other's.

"I felt the magic" he answered carefully, just as quietly and eyes still flashing in each direction, searching for any sign of the woman "It spiked and I was able to detect it"

"Oh"

"After your little spectacle, which was _inspired_by the way" his grin was infectious despite the circumstances "I joined your other friends and my brother, watching as you were steered out of the hallway. They all got a bit worried when you hadn't come back or contacted us on your predicament, so we waited until I felt the sudden upheaval in mystical forces."

He paused as something creaked behind them, their breath hitching as they swivelled their gaze that way to find nothing in the vicinity to be wary of. Loki continued "Thor's gone to contact the rest of your warriors, Stark and the purple haired child ran off to find you after I displayed my doubts of your…safety"

Natasha nodded slowly "And then you followed?"

"How could I not?" he replied easily, not quite meeting her gaze "The chances of finding as skilled a rune wielder as I on this insufferable planet was an opportunity I could not give up"

"Oh" the disappointment was singled down in this one syllable and she move to relieve her hand from his cool one, but found he gripped onto it before adding in a murmur

_"And I was worried"_

Natasha felt her face flush, and her mouth opened up to reply but was cut off by another's.

Masters was entering back into the lobby, her skin crackling with red magic as she yelled out into the open "Come now Miss Rushman! You're making this much more difficult than what is necessary!" A pause as Natasha's breath hitched and Loki hissed quietly next to her as they both peered over the books of the stack in front of them. Masters was pacing, her golden hair in disarray, clashing frightfully with the luminous yellow eyes.

"What is she?" she couldn't help but ask, glancing over at Loki who seemed to grimace

"Dark Elf" he answered with a scowl "From Svartalfheim. They pride themselves in the dark arts, rituals and sacrifice. This one's obviously found out how to travel the hidden paths of Yggdrasil like I did."

"_Great,_so she's powerful?"

"Oh most assuredly. She was able to hide herself when often I would sense this much power" _she wished she could slap the admiration out of his voice_"Not many are able to manage such a feat, but it's obvious we aren't the only ones she's looking for"

"Natalie" Masters interrupted in a high voice, Loki's statement instantly disappearing from her thoughts as she strained to listen "I'm going to give you one minute to show yourself. Incase you've forgotten I still have your little friend in my possession. And I won't be as flexible as I was with you in the way of stealing life."

Natasha paused then, her mind racing with scenarios and outcomes to get out of this.

"_Don't you dare_" Loki hissed as she made to rise and reveal herself "Going out there without a plan is foolish and logically worthy of Thor"

"What other choice do I have" she returned in the same tone "She's got Tony, and if I don't move quick, she'll find Monica as well"

Loki rolled his eyes shaking his head "You mortals and your morality"

"You gods and your superiority" she snapped back making to rise again and hitting Loki on the head when he tugged her back down

"Oww" he murmured eyes narrowing "We _need_a plan."

"Great, got any?"

"A few"

"Care to share?"

"Not particularly"

Which is how Loki found himself being shoved out into the lobby with a fuming Ms Masters as a very convenient diversion. Natasha moving through the stacks remaining out of the woman's eyesight so she may find Monica and try to get her out of there.

"Ms Masters!" she heard Loki greet in feigned surprise as she skimmed against the side of a shelf, performing a small somersault in the darkness between stacks

"Mr Johnson" Masters stammered her features returning suddenly to their more humanoid counterparts, suspicion caked in her voice "What are you doing here?"

"I followed you" Loki answered back in a sickly flirtatious manner.

_Yeah great going, go seduce the mad woman, great idea _Natasha gagged with a shake of her head, peering behind one of the cement pillars, to see Ms Masters' back and Loki walking towards her in a confident manner.

"Followed me?"

"Aye, I couldn't help but notice how devastatingly attractive you look tonight, and seeing as I was otherwise engaged, I could hardly point it out while in the vicinity of my date"

Masters seemed to flutter at that, smoothing down her ruffled hair "Oh well thank you Luke"

Loki paused a meter away from her, a smirk lifting his lips up in something both coy and dangerous, before tapping them slowly with a slender finger and glancing quite obviously to Tony's crumple form "Of course I am quite curious about what you've been doing"

"Oh him? I found him like that. I believe Timothy has been sneaking alcohol into the school's premises"

"Oh, that is _quite_believable"

Natasha suffocated the snort trying to rip itself from her throat. When in doubt of Tony's antics, blame it on his alcoholism and its obvious side effects.

She sneaked out from behind the pillar and creeped over to the clerk desk, pausing mid step as Ms Masters seemed to detect movement. Her heart sped up at the thought of being caught, just as Loki reached for the golden haired woman's hand and grabbed it, pulling her towards him and smashing their lips together.

Natasha's mouth dropped open as moans rendered the air.

Loki _truly_went full out on the diversion tactics, she guess she could admire that, didn't stop the jealousy eating at her though.

He gestured at her to get a move on with impatient flicks of his wrist.

Natasha jumped over the desk lithely, dropping down onto the ground just as the two of them broke apart, Masters keening in the back of her throat.

Crouched down behind the desk, Natasha moved slowly trying to find where Monica had gotten to, or if she had managed to escape at all. Turned out she hadn't, and found the young girl in the corner of the hollowed desk, knees drawn to her chest and face hidden on top of them, shuddering slightly.

She jolted with a small gasp when Natasha reached out and touched her calf.

Monica looked like a wreck, her face was smeared with makeup and the mascara had made tear tracks down her cheeks, Natasha grimaced softly, placing a finger against her lip in order to calm her and grabbed her hand to lead her slowly from her crevice.

_Quiet_, she mouthed gesturing a finger upwards as Masters and Loki conversed

"I realise how uncouth it is to react on ones emotions" Loki was telling her in a breathy voice, Natasha was trained to hear the lies in the words one spoke, and right now the God of the trait wasn't trying specifically hard, his voice over dramatic and full of amusement "But how could I help myself?"

"You made the right choice Luke" the teacher rasped out, and Natasha dared a peak over the counter. Loki noticed her with a quick dart of emerald eyes, before smiling brilliantly at the woman.

"A first" he answered lightly stepping out of the teachers embrace and clasping his hands behind his back as both Natasha and Monica made to leave, moving towards the edge of the desk. "Though, I have to admit, I believe it not the case _this_time"

"_What?_What are you talking about?"

"Well, I sincerely doubt having relations with a _Svartalfar_would definitely soil my already tarnished reputation"

A heavy pause occurred, and Natasha sighed heavily gripping Monica's hand tighter just as Ms Masters soaked the words in, and with a loud snarl lunged at Loki whom she fell though, the image of the trickster fading away into nothing as the real one stepped out from behind the shelves.

"Trickster" the Svartalfar growled, her eyes returning to a putrid yellow, teeth turning sharp as needles as she bared them, her nails growing into dark claws

"Hello beautiful" Loki replied with a dagger sharp smile

"_Now_" Natasha hissed at Monica, grabbing her hand and pulling her from the floor making their way towards Tony just as magic hissed in the air, the familiar green sparks lighting the room and newly red spectres clashing with it.

It was _loud_, and the former assassin caught Loki being lifted off his feet and crashing into a case of books with a loud yell before slashing out his hands and creating large vines to erupt from the floor and ensnare the blonde woman whom hissed and spat at the entrapments, burning them away with her own hands.

"Tony!" Natasha yelled over the noise, shaking the former Ironman roughly as Monica stood behind her, eyes wide and watching the mayhem before her "Wake up!"

Tony groaned then, the sight of a large lump on his head stalling her vigorous shaking as she attempted to lift him from behind his back, throwing one of his arms across her shoulders before looking towards the shocked Monica and snapping "_Help me won't you!"_

This seemed to bring the girl back, hesitating slightly before moving to Tony's other side and repeating the movement, hauling him to his feet, his head lolling lazily upon his neck before his chin settled into his chest.

They moved towards the door, dead weight between them slowing them down, just as they heard Loki cry out, his body thrown into the opposite wall.

Monica screamed shrilly and Tony subconsciously slapped her in the face with a weak hand, murmuring a slurred hush as Natasha picked up their pace, only to find her arm being grabbed in a firm grip and being pulled away by Masters, Monica falling to the floor with a yelp and Tony on top of her.

The hand around her arm _hurt_, and it burned as though on fire; _branding_her.

"_My youth_" Masters hissed, grabbing Natasha's chin once more as she struggled, her face in agony as the palm of the woman's hands sparked red and the sudden feeling of numbness once again circulating through her, before finding herself crashing to the ground and gasping loudly, her own hands massaging her neck.

She blinked the blurriness from her eyes to see Monica had tackled the woman from behind with an Amazonian warrior cry, her arms crossing behind at the woman's neck as she latched on like an over clingy koala.

Masters writhed at the young girl's intrusion, shaking the weight and pushing Monica back into a stack of books roughly, hearing her friend cry out Natasha once again jumped onto her feet eager to make her way over to the woman and pummel her to the ground, a strange tingling filling her body at the thought.

"NO!" Masters cried grabbing Monica by the hair and locking her head against her chest as the red haired assassin advanced on her. Monica struggled in her grip, but if Natasha found it hard to face the woman's strength, what chance did her Tumblr blogging friend have?

She paused in her movements, afraid that if she were to continue, the woman would just as easily snap her friends' neck. Loki found his way beside her, his face set furiously and his handsome suit singed and ruined as he bared his teeth at the woman, his hands crackling green Seidr.

"Obviously I've stumbled upon something I should have ascertained from the start" Masters rasped out ignoring the squirming figure in her arms "My own students, one armed in fighting, the other a God among men. Let's just forget all about this shall we and be on our merry way"

"Doubtful" Loki spat out as Natasha bristled, her head still pounding with pain, she heard Tony stir somewhere behind them

"You aren't taking any more girls" Natasha stated sternly "Let Monica go"

"You're not in a position to be making demands" Masters chided clucking her tongue "If you hadn't noticed your friend will be little more than a strangled chicken if you try anything and I will make sure that you will all suf-_AHHHHH!"  
_  
Monica had sunk her teeth into the arm in front of her and fell mercilessly to the ground before crawling away quickly as Masters made to grab her.

"Get Monica!" Natasha yelled at Loki as she made chase, the Svartalfar running as soon as she realised the inevitability of the situation. She ran through the stacks, Natasha on her trail, her whole body humming oddly as her steps quickened, her limbs lengthened and her hair receded all at once. Her dress tightened around her figure, her chest straining against the cloth.

It was then that she realised she was no longer a teenager.

She smiled wickedly before tackling the woman into one of the many desks.

Wood splinters and books flew into the air, as she finally pinned the woman down; the Svartalfar struggled against her weight, hands still sparking scarlet and hissing like an injured cat before finally coming still, her magic dissipating.

Natasha took a moment to realise one of the wooden splinters had pierced the woman through the heart.

She watched in utter fascination as the Blonde haired woman's skin turned darker, into a mottled grey, markings lining her now deceased body, her blood oozing a thick black from where the splinter pierced her.

She stayed in that position for several moments, her breath coming out harsh, but nonetheless feeling relieved that it was all over.

The youth stealing bitch was dead, and she was _finally_ back to her adult self.

She got up, gasping as the front of her dress split, her chest bursting forward as though in greeting at being newly reinstated.

She spun around just as Loki, Monica and the rest of the Avengers burst in upon the scene.

Loki raised an amused eyebrow, the Captain blushed and turned away lifting up his communicator, Clint and Bruce remained expressionless (but their eyes were not focused on her face) Thor looked adorably confused and Monica cocked her head to the side as Natasha lifted the remainders of her dress to shield herself from the gazes.

Tony started to clap.

* * *

**A/N:** This was supposed to be the last chapter, but it got out of hand. Fight scenes tend to do that in my writing, this went for 2000 more words longer then what it was supposed to be.  
So yes, there will be another chapter and epilogue you lucky gooses.

Thanks so much for reading!


	25. Wave Goodbye

The school was surrounded in no time by black vans, courtesy of SHIELD.

All the students had been evacuated from the hall and were now standing around barriers of yellow police tape while a body bag was being hauled away. Many had their phones out and were currently filming the situation.

Quiet murmurs and frantic whispers passed through the student body before turning into shrill shrieks and yells of "_I WANT YOUR BABY!_" when Captain America and Hawkeye appeared in full regalia.

Natasha had quickly changed into one of the spare SHIELD uniforms and was currently flexing her reinstated body quite happily. She may or may not have flicked Kristin the bird whilst walking out of the hall beside Clint, and she may or may not have silently congratulated herself when the girl appeared gobsmacked at the gesture.

Camera crews were already present, Steve was handling the news crew by giving a detailed, and very true response of what had been going on for the past 6 months, much to the surprise of all the civilians.

Natasha leant against one of the vans watching people rush around her trying to clean up the situation as best they could. The principal was also being interviewed and seemed quite overwhelmed with all the attention his school was getting. Clint sidled in beside her, nuddging his shoulder against her own.

"Fury called" he explained, returning the soft smile she sent at him "All the girls are back to normal. They can't remember a single thing in their time of being Grannies. Apparently they're kicking up quite a fuss, demanding their lawyers and attorneys."

"That doesn't surprise me." Natasha sighed, raising a hand to fidget with the bandage on her forehead, Clint slapped it away

"Don't disturb it" he told her as though a parent to their restless child "You need stitches. I don't see why you just don't go back to HQ now and get it done. No offence Tash, but you're kind of a mess"

"So sweet."

"You know what I mean."

She sighed, touching the end of her now shorter hair, feeling the congealed blood still entangled in its strands and thinking quite plainly _"eww". _

There was no actual reason for her to keep standing around, the mission was done, statements were given, body hauled away. The field doctors on the scene had quickly patched up whatever they could, with a warning of getting a thorough check once returning back to SHIELD HQ.

But something was keeping her here.

As her eyes tracked the crowded premises in front of her, eyes caught on a flash of purple hair.

Monica sat with one of the paramedic personnel, a blanket drawn over her shoulders as she was asked routine questions. She looked pale and traumatised, her eyes wide as she stared at the ground with a Styrofoam cup clenched in her hand. She seemed unhurt, save a couple of bruises.

"You should go talk to her" Clint murmured next to her

"I don't think she's in the mood to talk" Natasha replied sadly

"If I were her, I would want you to talk to me. Just like that time when I was under the influence of the Tesseract, you were there as a friend" he told her, gesturing in Monica's direction "You helped me, comforted me. She's a kid who just went through a rather traumatic experience. Go be her friend, go do each other's nails and all that other teenage girl crap"

"I'm not a teenager anymore"

"Disssapointed?"

Natasha laughed then "No, relief upon relief to be absolutely honest. Once was enough." She paused looking back at Monica, still shrouded in a blanket and looking rather like a lost lamb "I should go talk to her"

"You should" Clint agreed, nudging her on the shoulder to get her moving away from her slouched position on the vehicle "Be sensitive!"

"I'm always sensitive" Natasha mumbled walking away and to where her purple haired friend was seated. She smiled kindly at the small startle Monica gave when suddenly approached before sitting down next to her with a small groan of weary limbs.

Monica was the first to speak after a few short moments of awkward silence.

"So, Black Widow huh?"

"Yep."

"That's just…" Monica started before cutting off and shaking her head, pulling the blanket around her shoulders tighter

"I know" Natasha exhaled, looking down at her leather boots "It's kind of unbelievable."

The purple haired girl snorted at that with a noise of affirmation "I always knew there was something weird going on about you. Glad to know my paranoia is as healthy as always. I mean, all your friends were disappearing one by one, Colin who is Hawkeye apparently, Stan who is fucking Captain America, Brian who is…."

"The Hulk"

"The Hulk" Monica repeated incredulously, gesturing her hands emphatically before continuing "Tim is Tony Stark. Theo is obviously Thor, freaking Thunder god. I mean, I _should _have figured that out sooner, who_ talks_like that!?"

Natasha nodded biting her lip as she spied the still young Thor currently talking to a camera crew, his voice loud and booming as he tried to explain what life was like as a high schooler with much enthusiasm. His dark haired sibling stood silently to the side of him, practically glaring at any of the reporters who tried to engage him in conversation.

"Do I even want to know who Luke is?" Monica asked wearily "I can do the math, and there are no more Avengers." She looked imploringly at the red haired assassin, who hesitated in answering. Monica cut in before she could with another shake of her purple mane "And to think I'd been making jokes about his too long eyelashes since his first day. I'm kind of surprised he didn't eviscerate me"

Natasha had avoided Loki's eyes ever since they had left the library, his suit jacket thrown over her shoulders in an attempt to cover up her sudden revealing form.

"I'm kind of surprised as well" Natasha muttered, fidgeting with the sleeves of the SHIELD jacket before looking imploringly at her friend "Monica, I'm _really_sorry I didn't tell you before. We really couldn't endanger anyone and…"

The young teenager held up her hand then, silencing the Black Widow "Don't apologise. This year has been a lot of fun, _you_were fun. But I take it you won't be returning next semester?"

"It's kind of pointless now."

"Nat, as far as I'm concerned High School is _always_pointless"

"I concur" Natasha agreed with a small laugh

Monica smiled, pulling the blanket tighter around her "I'll miss you though"

"Yeah" her smile dimmed as she rubbed the girl's shoulder "I'll miss you to"

"No chance of barbecue's in the Avengers Manor?"

"Maybe when you're older" Natasha joked

Monica made a scathing sound in the back of her throat, a cross between a snort and a cat spitting up a hair ball "_Sucksssss_. When did you become so old Rushman? Or Black Widow, or _whatever…_"

"Natasha."

"_Natasha_" Monica repeated with emphasis "Natasha, my mysterious friend who turned out to be a freaking Avenger"

"You're still in awe?"

"Do you think Captain America will let me touch his ass?" Natasha raised an eyebrow incredulously; Monica shrugged "As a friend? No? Accidently bumping my hand on his ass?"

"I'm sure that can be arranged" she laughed before noticing a limo pulling up, the same one they had come in. A rather stocky man got out, slightly balding as he smoothed down his suit and looked around pointedly for something "Is that your dad?"

Monica's ears pricked up, her neck stretching to spy the man with a small nod "Yep. Mr Winters in all his glory" she looked to Nat an apologetic smile quirking her lips "That's my cue to go and be adored, or chastised. Either way I'm getting a new pony"

"Rich kid" Natasha hissed in amusement as her friend got up. Monica winked and clucked her tongue, her hand morphing into a mock gun.

"So I'll see you around?" she asked airily, letting the blanket drop with a flourish "On the news? Ellen? Tumblr_? FF net …_" her face became stern as Natasha made to question "You do _not_want to know"

Natasha laughed "I'll keep that in mind"

The purple haired child smiled blindingly one last time "Stay cool Nat." She made to leave, walking in the direction of where her father stood before calling over her shoulder "I'll send you LOLcats in emails!"

The assassin watched as Monica made it to her father, he cupped her face in his rough hands and started inspecting her in concern before enfolding her into a hug. A smile lingered sadly on Natasha's face as the Winters' got into the limo and drove away, her hand twitching in a small and unnoticed wave.

She sighed deeply, lifting herself from the ambulance and moving away. Most of the SHIELD vans had already gone, the news crowds were dispersing, students were being sent home by the teachers and an annoyed Principal.

"This was the weirdest year ever" Tony stated as Natasha approached the group. He was lying across the stairs that lead up towards the building as Natasha sat beside him. Thor sat at his feet, Loki by his side looking thoroughly bored. Clint sat on the hand rail as Bruce leant against it "Seriously surreal"

"It will be a year to remember" Thor declared nodding

Tony looked disgusted "What? Oh, _eww_, no. I intend to forget with a passion as _soon_as I get my normal physique back and eat a liquor store" He looked to Loki then "Anyway I can speed up the process Prancer?"

Loki shrugged "Only time will tell, but it probably won't be long now."

"_Yay_."

The Trickster Prince got up at that point, brushing off lint from the front of his pants with a tsk. He looked at them all with a slight smile.

"Well this has been most fun." He told them, Steve joining them silently and looking confused at the focus of their attention. "I must say Midgardian Education is quite dull and placid in all honesty, but I shall be glad to be rid of it" He paused then, pressing his lips together and rolling his eyes up as though pondering a heavy question "So, I suppose this is goodbye."

"We'll miss you" Tony replied in a churlishly sweet voice

"Brother" Thor started looking thoroughly upset "You do not have to leave…." Blue eyes met Natasha's before flashing back to emerald "I thought perhaps…"

"Thor." Loki cut in looking annoyed "Don't make this maudlin."

The thunder god opened his mouth before shutting it with a click and looking away, brow furrowing. Loki shook his head, removing the fake crown that still rested in black locks. "Guess father was right in a way" he joked, but the humour in his voice fell short as ice crept in. "We were both born to be Kings."

The Avengers looked at one another, expressions a range of bewilderment. Loki laughed coldly, spinning the crown around one finger, it disappeared into nothingness. His green eyes met Natasha's own, his features softening ever so slightly before turning and walking away.

Natasha felt something inside of her squeeze painfully.

"Try not to set fire to any puppies on your way home!" Tony called out, Loki simply made a hand gesture over his shoulder as though shooing away his words. He disappeared into nothingness as a news crew walked past. "Well, can't say I'll miss the bundle of joy His Sassiness brought to the group"

"Yes" Steve agreed lightly, looking at Tony pointedly "I think we have enough of that already"

As the group bickered Natasha's thoughts were elsewhere.

_Loki was gone_.

She thought he would at least call her aside and talk, talk about what these past few months had done to them, the new emotions that came with new youth. It wasn't fake and it wasn't temporary, she remembered the way he would fill her head with blind noise each time he looked her way, the way he smiled sincerely when she would speak to him; she didn't imagine this.

_Did she?  
_  
She frowned, turning her gaze downcast to stare into the space between her feet.

Perhaps it was pure curiosity that had gotten them like this. It wasn't love, love is for children.

But she couldn't deny the attraction and now….

_He's gone.  
_  
The next time they would probably see him is over a battle terrain filled with the carnage of his mischief.

She felt hollow.

"Tasha?" Clint interrupted her thoughts in concern, she looked up to meet his eyes "You okay?"

She forced a small smile on her face, brushing back a strand of red hair.

"Yeah" she replied, hissing slightly as her hair got caught in the orchid corsage. She untangled it, looking at the flowers. Her smile lingered only slightly as she stared at the accessory, moving her fingers against the foliage, a deep pang of upset filling her.

"I'm fine."

* * *

A/N: Hey I'm early :D No? Well shit.  
I have just been caught up in some other stuff (work, school, etc) and my motivation to write for this particular story was nada. So sorry for the rather large portion of time I did not upload...ooops...  
Dudes, I am also on AO3 now, so go check out my profile. Teen Spirit is also uploaded over there :points in random direction:

Also, an epilogue is going to be written, because I rekon some of you will hunt me down and shank me if I leave it like this. (this was the original way I was going to end this. I'm a sucker for bittersweet endings) But, you guys are scary, so I'm going to try and make you a happy ending.

One question though. Should I...  
a) Keep it Disney or  
b) PORN! PORN! PORN! PORN! PORN!

It's up to you guys. Leave a comment and I shall tally up the results :)  
Thanks for reading!


	26. Epilogue: Forever Young

**Notes**

Oh, hello there. So I thought I would start with the notes first, just so the ending isn't blighted by my ramblings.

So first things first, this is the last chapter of Teen Spirit. Yes, I know, please don't cry for me Argentina. And if it weren't for all you fabulous followers and favouriters and reviewers, I don't think it would have lasted this long. Look at that guys, over 60,000 freaking words.

What is life?

So I wanted to thank you thank you thank you, to everyone who liked this story, and stuck with it till the end. To the fabulous people who left comments, both short and essay-esque, you know who you are, and so many virtual hugs are being sent to you.

I know there have been delays, what with college and work (_just cutting in here because I recently got a new job after I uploaded the last chapter as a photographer in a wax museum. An iron man replica stands behind me as I'm working. If that isn't cool I don't know what is. Okay, end interval_) and overall 2012 has been super busy as my first dive into fan fiction came to completion. If it wasn't for the constant support you guys gave me. So thank you. All of you.

Secondly, on the last chapter I asked a question and people were very adamant in the porn, but after much deliberation I'm taking the softer approach seeing as I do have young readers.

But worry not gentle merry men who wish for the ways of sexual healing (_sexual heaaalliinnnn'_), for in the future I have plans for a much smuttier, one shot sequel to Teen Spirit, just to get the sexy times out.  
So yes, I haven't completely laid the story to rest, but this is the end of this particular segment.

Anyway guys, it's been fun, you were all _super_awesome.

I hope you like this epilogue as much as I liked writing it.

Stay golden! _- Fox _

* * *

**EPILOGUE: Forever**** Young**

_Three Months Later_

"Honestly I did not expect someone so charming."

Natasha smirked coyly at the compliment following the man into the apartment, wine glass still in hand from the ball that still raged in the hotel's lobby. The sleek black dress she wore was moulded perfectly against her body, her hair styled over her shoulder, waves of autumn falling to her breast held up by a black and gold pin.

"Then you won't be surprised to hear I get that a lot," she answered the man, walking ahead of him and leaving him to shift awkwardly in the doorway. Her smile dropped once she knew he could not see her facial expression anymore, wandering over to the floor to ceiling window which led to the beautiful view of Prague.

Only after a short time of recuperation, demanded by Fury after the whole Masters ordeal, he needed to know if there were any side effects before sending any of them out on classified missions into the world. So for over two months she was subject to sitting around the manor, only going out on patrols and regular defence.

Thor changed back to his Godly glory only a week after herself, running off to New Mexico almost instantly through SHIELD's clutches. Tony changed 5 days later and disappeared into his penthouse suite refusing to resurface for two weeks. Only Pepper and Bruce were allowed to enter into his lair.

Bruce explained quite bluntly that Tony was making up for lost time.

If he said "_he was drinking his way through his stores_" it would have sufficed.

She got the occasional email from Monica, and the girl had kept true to her word, sending her many a cat with a misspelled caption, or otherwise complaining about assessments and exams that were on the horizon.

She told her about a new girl named Cory Sutter who had started to attend classes with her, and how cool and hip she was, or something of the like.

Natasha didn't question Fury on her friend's new accomplice, but she'd be lying if she didn't say she recalled the cover name from one of SHIELD's younger files, so she had her suspicions.

Other than the emails, patrols and overall avoidance of the media, Natasha kept to her room in the manor and pondered. It was dull to say the very least, and her bones and mind were itching for something more intricate then a simple brawl.

She needed to flex her skills as spy and assassin, though if her instincts were correct, there would be no deaths _this_night.

She skulled the rest of her wine before spinning around to face her charge again with a diminutive smile, holding the glass aloft, "Refill?"

The man nodded quickly pointing to the bar as he fidgeted with his tie, his face a blotched red in his excitement.

Boris Plaksin, aged forty, married with three children, all daughters. Currently in possession of stolen missile plans, in negotiations of release to an infamous Russian syndicate. Aim of mission? Get the files and return them to SHIELD HQ.

Natasha walked to the bar as the man managed to rip off the tie and throw it to the ground.

"Such a nice room," she commented vacantly, grabbing two scotch glasses and the bottle of amber liquid. She poured delicately, feeling around in her mouth for the small capsule sitting in the pocket of her gums.

"I like the best," The man answered in a rich Russian accent. "I can afford it."

"So modest," Natasha laughed taking the capsule from her tongue and breaking it open above one of the glasses, white powder falling into the liquid. She looked over her shoulder, "Ice?"

"Please."

Another sweet smile as she dropped a number of cubes from the ice box into the glasses, allowing the powder to dissolve even quicker with the impact. She spun around with both glasses in hand walking to the large chaise lounge and settling upon it in the manner where her dress would ride up ever so slightly to reveal more thigh.

The man was already caught in her web, all she had to do was reel him in.

He took the glass she offered him, sitting on the edge of the lounge and leaning forward, rough and ugly hand on her calf.

"Cheers." She announced quietly, tapping their glasses together and relishing in the way Plaksin downed it in one gulp with a smacking of lips. It took approximately 10 seconds for the powder to take effect, and soon enough she was pushing his unconscious form to the ground, Plaksin only just managing to soil her mouth with a clumsy kiss.

Some men were true imbeciles.

It didn't take long for her to find the vault, hidden behind a copy of Monet's Water Lilies. She took out her SHIELD communicator, quickly snapping a couple of pictures of the vault and waiting for the next move to continue. A list of steps lit up in blue on her screen, and she quickly went to work, finding and breaching all safe holds and alarms before finally unlocking the code, the vault door springing forward with a hiss.

She grabbed the lone USB, small and silver, tucking it between her cleavage and then leaving post haste out the door, only checking herself in the mirror on her way out to make sure she was still presentable.

Her movements were graceful as she walked down the flight of stairs littered with party goers in extravagant dresses and smart suits. She avoided all who looked as though they may make conversation with her, entering into the crowd of chattering and oblivious people, the orchestra infiltrating her ears and blurring them out.

She was halfway across the room with its high ceilings and golden architecture before she halted in her tracks.

The feeling of eyes was upon her.

Her heart race only picked up a fraction; surely she could not have been discovered already?  
The music played on as she looked around carefully for the eyes that watched her, and they did with quiet intensity, and yet, _familiarity._

_A flash of green._

She startled, her direction changing as she walked back into the crowd, looking over heads.

_Dark hair.  
_  
She stumbled into people, murmuring apologies as she made to follow, her mind racing as everything became background music as her heart pounded in her ears.

Natasha strode through the hall, gaze narrowed, spotting the tall figure, lithe and graceful exiting out onto the extravagant balcony overlooking the citadel and gardens.

She followed, wary of whom she was to find, and aware of the sudden anticipation to see him again.

He was a dark silhouette against the moonlight, but she could map out his features even as he turned slowly. All sharp angles and glittering green irises, neat and suave in a suit of charcoal, his hair long and tied back into a dark tail.

Everything was silent as she waited on bated breath for the soft words that would certainly leave thin lips with a trademark smirk.

"Hello Natasha."

"_Loki._" She breathed out, with a seeming air of calm as her heart rate slowly started to decrease. She looked him up and down, tall and intimidating, handsome and sleek. She supressed the urge to wave her hand, "I see you're back to…"

"All my glory?" Loki finished for her, falling into easy conversation that both infuriated and dizzied her. "Why yes, preferences?"

"I care neither way," She answered easily, regaining her composure, her face becoming expressionless. Loki hummed a low vibration in the back of his throat.

"I have trouble believing that." She scowled at the easy brush off, but covered it once again with a wry smile. A waiter entered onto the balcony, a silver platter topped with wine glasses in hand. Loki nodded as the man approached their supposed solace, taking a glass delicately and looking over at her with a smile, "Wine Natasha?"

"Please." She answered easily moving forward to take her own glass of scarlet liquid. She waited for the waiter to leave before continuing, hating the way Loki seemed so comfortable in her presence.

"So," she started, sipping her wine "I haven't seen you around. Not plaguing the cities, releasing creatures of unknown origin into our sewers, blowing up ice cream trucks…"

"There's a perfectly liable reason for the last one." Loki reprimanded, his voice full of excuses.

"You hate Greensleaves?"

"I _despise _Greensleaves."

She laughed at the admission, watching a softer smile line the Trickster's lips as he lifted the glass back to his lips, watching the pale column of throat work as he drank. She cleared her throat lightly.  
"So why the lack of destroying dairy confectionaries?"

Loki paused at the question, hesitating before shrugging "I've been busy."

"Busy?" Natasha repeated suspiciously, moving closer though not breaching her comfort zone. "With what?"

Loki cocked an eyebrow and shook his head with a tight lipped smirk, "And what of you? The unconscious man upstairs, were you successful in your exploits."

She was aware of the sudden change of topic, but played along, even as the knowledge of her mission was made known.

"Of course I was." She replied with confidence, her own gaze narrowing, "That's not why you're here right? Because I got to the treasure before you? Take note Loki, I'm not just going to hand it over."

"As wonderful as those plans would be to future endeavours, I'm going to have to deny my part in this play. I have no intentions of taking them off you, unless you were to willingly give them to me."

"Doubtful."

Loki shrugged, "Hmm, I thought as much."

Natasha looked away from him, at her glass feeling much like the awkward new girl. Weeks and weeks she would train herself not think about him, would smash her face against her pillow and scream when she was startled from her sleep by a vision of emerald eyes and alabaster skin.

Would curse his name each time the Avengers assembled to face some new threat, her hopes dropping each time when it wasn't him. The photo Thor had slid underneath the floor, Loki tying an orchid corsage onto her wrist, both of them looking like they walked off the cover of a prom guide, tucked into her underwear draw for no one to see.

The orchids never wilted.

Loki cleared his throat, placing his hand forward and canting his head back to the dance that raged inside. She stared at the slender hand cautiously, her eyes flickering up to meet his as he told her quite simply, "We never did finish our dance."

Her breath hitched for the first time in months, her mind wandering back to the night of the Spring Fling. A part of her was screaming even as she nodded, taking the hand offered and letting him lead her back into the ball and out onto the ball room. They followed the waltz easily, their hands placed upon waist and shoulder, other hands grasped lightly to the side.

They were silent as the music filled up their ambience, until Natasha could no longer control her erratic thoughts.

"What are you up to Loki?" She asked, wishing that pitiful whine in her voice was just an obvious exaggeration. Loki frowned gently as she continued, "Why now do you seek me out over all these months, do you think you can play me because of a simple school girl crush? Those days are over."

"I've been busy" he replied again the earlier sentiment.

"So you've said, but with what?"

"Thinking."

She snorted, "I doubt you ever stop thinking, and plotting and…"

"Yes, yes, evil plans, evil plans." Loki waved away easily, shaking his head and smiling uneasily. "You would think I do nothing else. That, however, is not what I've been pondering these last few months, I swear it." He paused with a weary exhale, "During my time returned as a youth I had an epiphany, _of sorts_…"

"_An epiphany_?" Natasha repeated incredulously and not without suspicion.

"Yes."

"And what did this _epiphany _entail?"

And _oh,_ she _loved _that hesitation. Loki truly looked young in that moment, like a lost little boy who only wished to please.

"…That perhaps it was time to…hang up the helmet."

Natasha blinked, a bark of sarcastic laughter leaving her lips, "You must be joking if you think I would fall for something so…"

"I'm not lying." Loki cut in with a scowl, brow furrowed as he sort out her gaze, "I'm being perfectly sincere."

"You'll forgive me for not being cynical." Natasha answered with a roll of her eyes, but Loki looked as though an upset cat left out in the rain at her reaction. She blinked again with a frown, "Why?"

"Why not?" he replied softly, as they spun, "I've seen the light, for better words. I wish redemption, and puppies and rainbows; whatever you heroes get off on."

"Seen the light?" she repeated with a cocked eyebrow.

"It took quite a magnificent form." He smiled, looking down at her. And _damn it_, who wouldn't blush after a statement like that. She looked away but her chin was caught in a long fingered hand, like pale spider legs cupping her face. Green eyes stared into hers imploringly, _honest_.

"I want to change Natasha." He told her, their slow movements stopping altogether as he leant down, their faces inches from one another's. "It will take time, a lot of time, and I may very well never be accepted, but I'd like to try. Your ledger is gushing with violent red, look at mine and it is drenched. I wish to heal. _Please_."

Natasha searched the depths of those phantom eyes, trying to pick apart any ill plans if she actually chose to agree to help. It was true; both their ledgers were dripping, if she had a second chance, then why couldn't he?

Again her thoughts turned to those times in battle, when she would spy Loki looking around as though disbelieving as to what he has done. Chaos and discord will always be a part of his nature, but if they were to twist it, to morph it back into the boy Thor spoke of in childhood, perhaps Loki would become a great asset to the team, no, they would be invincible.

"Fury will take some work." She told him finally, smirking at the way his lips broke into a bright smile, so open and carefree.

She imagined Asgard from the stories. Imagined a young boy with hair like midnight riding open plains, the stars and moons shining through day and night, smiling and wild, magic chasing him through the air that she imagined smelled so clear and sweet. _And there would have been laughter_.

"The whole nation will." Loki told her, smile still lingering.

"Not your fan sites…"

"My what?"

"Nothing." She replied quickly shaking her head, quickly catching a small collaboration of men in similar suits banding together on the staircase, their heads searching the crowds of people below. "I think it's time to go."

"Hmm" Loki hummed in mock disappointment, "And we still haven't finished our dance."

So it was totally impulse on Natasha's part when she looked back at him and grabbed his face between his hands, even as the men spotted her and started shouting she crushed their lips together. And, _okay,_ it was clumsy, and Loki may or may not have yelped (_he did, despite the story he retold_) and it was brief and altogether not great, but there was time for that later.

She would make time for that later, because screw Fury, _Loki was_, not to quote Monica, _one piece of hot ass. _

"Better?" She asked breaking off the kiss, and relishing in the dear in the headlights look Loki had upon his face, even as he nodded slowly. She was eager to start this whole redemption process, and kind of itching not to be caught by the men who were currently pushing the way through crowds. She grabbed his hand and forced him to move, "Time to go."

They rushed through the crowd, Natasha biting her lip to keep the goofy smile rising on her face, and confused about the way Loki could actually make the school girl in her come out most annoyingly.

She looked around; their hands still gripped together as they dashed through a fire exit and down the stairs. They burst through the last door into the basement car park, their feet slapping on the cement and barely supressing the giggles that burst from their lips.

"Really?" She asked incredulously when she spied the all too familiar motorcycle form their jaunt as teenagers, Loki smiling smug beside her as she gave him the side eye. "You don't expect me to get on that do you?"

"Live a little, my spider." He purred into her ear, steering her to the vehicle even as she rolled her eyes. She was beginning to think the act would become the norm with Loki around.

"After all, we're still young."

Gun shots went off and loud voices echoed against the wall as she hopped on behind the dark haired Trickster, twisting her arms around his waist as he started the engine and blasted away the ticket pole with a flick of his hand.

They both smiled as they drove away from the madness they left behind.

**Endings are hard.  
**


End file.
